The spiders of Lothlórien
by Anita H
Summary: Faramir takes on a challenge from his brother, namely to catch a Mirkwood spider and bring it back home. But his adventure does not go as planned...
1.

A/N: Hello again! This is it, the second story. It is totally unrelated to the first, but if you want to read the other I would be very happy :) I really feel up to it to start this little tale, I have prepared myself far better now *looks at a written draft on her lap*

Anyway, this time, none of the characters belong to me but to the wonderful Tolkien.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

__

The spiders of Lothlórien.

1.

I am riding here on the north side of Druadan forest on my way home, that is, if the Woses leave me alone. It's an eerie forest and I would like to pas it as soon as possible. I am sure I could handle them of course! The last two or three months have been more dangerous then a couple of Woses...

Ah, yes, I hear you thinking 'what are you talking about?' and 'why are you away from home in the first place?' I do think you deserve to hear my little adventure, at least to keep you from taking challenges from your dear brother!

Cause that is exactly what happened to me...

Yeah, yeah, you can stop laughing now! It's all his fault, really it is... 

'Who are you?' I now hear you asking.

Let me introduce myself then before I continue. My name is Faramir and I am the second son of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor. I am also the younger brother of Boromir. 

Now you may already know the reason why I took that challenge. Just to prove them _all_, father and Boromir actually, that I am very capable taking care of myself. I am already twenty-one! So when my dear brother came up with a challenge, I took it.

'What was the challenge?' you ask me once again. It was an easy one...really. The only thing I had to do was catch one of the spiders that are lurking in Mirkwood forest. It didn't matter if it was dead or alive.

I told you so, very easy...At least, that is what _I_ thought, when I started this journey. Any normal person would call me crazy I even attempted it, but I was a person that wanted to prove himself.

My plan was to first travel over the Great West Road in the direction of Edoras. There I could pick up some more supplies for the harder part of the travel; directly northward, over the plains, to the southern border of Mirkwood. 

Once in Mirkwood I catch a spider, make my way back over the plains to Edoras and from there on home. So simple...or so I thought.

Needless to say, things didn't go as planned. Oh yes, the journey to Edoras went perfect. Not much can go wrong when you follow a well travelled road! The second part wasn't as easy as the first part though...

So while I sit here on my horse, sniffing up the smells I have missed and keeping an eye on the forest to my right side, I will tell you about the second part that was more difficult than I want to admit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: just the introduction. The second chapter will come up this weekend. From there on I will just hold to the update schedule I handled before...one chapter a week with the updates in the weekend. This worked out perfectly for me, since I don't have time to write besides on Saturday and Sunday. Vacation is nearly over and I start my work in the hospital again!

Happy Newyear!! And review please :) 


	2. 

A/N: ' - - ' again the passage of time. I really don't have anything more to say…that's a first! Keep on reading then :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2.

The dark haired man uttered a curse as he dragged his horse behind him. The animal wasn't at all pleased with the way the weather had turned out and would rather go in the opposite direction to the warmth of the stables. But since only elves were so in touch with nature that they could have told the horse that the stables were already far away and since this man was certainly no elf, things stayed as they were; a grumpy horse and an equally grumpy man.

The weather had turned bad the day after they left Edoras. A steady drizzle came down, which soaked your clothes eventually, especially if you happened to be walking outside all the time. The wind that accompanied the rain was just cold enough to make you feel uncomfortable…and moody.

Faramir looked up from under his hood and saw nothing but grey clouds in the sky as far as he could see. The scenery hadn't changed the last eight days. Only on the horizon he now saw something dark loom up. Eyeing the map just taken from his saddlebag, the man made a little calculation and came to the conclusion that it had to be Fangorn forest. Judging the distance, which was rather difficult to do in this hilly land, he guessed he would reach the border of the forest in about one or two days.

He took another look at his map. Past Fangorn it showed one big forest which spread out in the north to the foot of the Grey Mountains. The west border lay at the foot of the Misty Mountains. The Aduin flowed right through it. The only hope Faramir had was that the map was accurate. It wouldn't do him any good to get lost!

"It wouldn't do _both_ of us very good to get lost." He said to his horse.

A snort was the reply.

The plan was to cross the Entwash, follow the east border of Fangorn, then go directly north to Mirkwood…it just couldn't go wrong! According to the map he was taking the right way. He couldn't afford to go the wrong way, not if he wanted to impress his brother and maybe gain some sort of approval from his father…he had to get home with a spider.

When he was in Edoras he had heard stories of some sort of witch that lived somewhere in those woods, or at least, in a small piece of woodland that was supposed to be west of Mirkwood. Éomer himself, a friend of him and Boromir, had warned Faramir about her. But that was trouble for later, if the stories were even true. And besides…the map didn't show such a forest.

Mounting his horse once again, Faramir quickened up the pace, eager to get past Fangorn as soon as possible and then up to the spiders!

- -

"Up to the spiders…right", the blond man muttered sarcastically as he glared at that which lay before him.

Crossing the Entwash had already been difficult and now he stood on the banks of yet another river! His plan to reach Fangorn in at least two days had died when his horse started to limp, he had now made it in four days. Two more days were spend resting after they has crossed the Entwash, at which he and the horse were nearly 'washed' away. Then the way around the forest, much bigger than Faramir had thought, took yet another three days.

Cursing not only all the gods he knew but the mapmaker as well, the man pulled on the reins and started to cross. By the time he got to the other side, he was thoroughly soaked and doubted if even the spare clothing in the saddlebags were dry.

"If I come across another river, I will turn back!" He knew he would not do such a thing, but thinking about the disgrace he might bring down if he returned empty-handed gave him the mental boost he needed to continue.

Heaving a deep sigh, Faramir climbed in his saddle and headed straight to the north. By the end of the day he could see another forest. A grin crept on his face and he let out a joyous yell, "Yes! Mirkwood forest finally," followed by a series of coughs that didn't sound very healthy. He made a mental note not to ride on a horse whilst soaking wet, no matter how urgent the matter was.

Despite his excitement, the man stopped for the night. He could reach it in two days, if his horse didn't continue to limp and if he didn't come across a river again that wasn't on the map (a map he started to trust less every day) and if the hills didn't fool his eyes…Faramir shook off the 'and ifs', laid down and fell into a deep sleep.

- -

The next day and the day after that were miserable…the foggy feeling in his head and the queasiness of his stomach overshadowed the prospect of achieving his destination. Riding a horse in wet clothing wasn't something Faramir was likely to do again in the near future.

His constant sneezing and coughing was enough to drive the wildlife away, so he was hungry as well.

"Things just can't get any worse." He stated to the horse.

A flash and thunder preceded the rain that suddenly started falling, soaking him yet again. The urge to kick something was very big and the gods, the mapmaker, Boromir and nature in general got their fair share of curses again. The one thing that brought a little joy, were the high trees that loomed up before him indicating the south side of Mirkwood.

The only thing Faramir could do was sigh in relief as he entered the forest…his true adventure could finally begin!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Sorry if it seemed…rushed. His journey northward isn't very interesting, despite some unforeseen obstacles, but I did want to include it so you know what his state of mind is when he reaches Mirkwood forest…if he ever reaches it :)


	3. 

A/N: Faramir got the map from a mapmaker in Minas Tirith. He just curses Boromir, because he was the one whom came up with the challenge.

Well, none of the characters are mine. I just use them for the fun of it :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

3.

The word 'adventure' was on his curse-list as well now. Together with the newly added 'rain', 'tree' and 'sick'. Faramir was figuratively sick of all the trees and literally sick of the rain.

He had been searching for anything that would indicate spider activity…and after 3 days still hadn't found a thing! Just some small spiders that he would have been able to find in his own room. And he didn't think Boromir would be amused if he brought one of those with him.

With a sigh he sat down and looked out over the plains to the south. The man had stayed close to the edge of the forest, so he wouldn't get lost. But now that strategy was desperately failing. He didn't like the idea of actually going 'into' the forest even though it was fairer and more peaceful than he would have imagined.

That was another thing to ponder about; the forest. From all that he had heard, the forest just wasn't supposed to look the way it did. It was supposed to be dark, menacing, filled with eerie sounds and that sort of stuff. The opposite was true; it was light, beautiful and filled with birdsong. Either the stories were a total nonsense or he was in the wrong part of Mirkwood.

The other thing that bothered him was the constant feeling of being watched. He hadn't seen any other person here that could have triggered that feeling. No tracks, but that of deer, had he seen on the forestfloor. All in all, according to his tracking skills, he was very much alone here.

A coughing fit pulled him out of his concentration. When he got his breathing under control again, his chest was painful and his throat sore.

"Stupid rain…" he mumbled.

Not wanting to sit there forever on the wet leaves, Faramir made a quick decision. He swiftly stood up and mounted his startled horse. Looking out over the plains one last time, they entered the forest once again.

After some time he found a marking, which told him that this was the furthest he had gone with the search. Giving the horse a little nudge, they went deeper into the forest.

The feeling of being watched increased immediately and Faramir had to resist the urge to look over his shoulder to see if someone was behind him.

"Just my imagination." He told himself.

If he had known that he was indeed being watched and by whom, the man would have turned around and fled the forest. But he didn't know, so he kept on going, until it was to late to turn back…and even further.

- -

Three hours after having past the marking, Faramir was as tense as a newly strung bow. Every whisper of sound would have his heart racing and his hand closer to his sword. The forest was still as beautiful, but it didn't do a thing to ease his state of mind.

His thought about being watched wasn't counted as his imagination anymore. Now the man was sure someone, or something, kept a close eye on him. He figured it had to be the spiders. Lost in musings, he almost missed the thing he had been looking for: tracks!

Slipping of his horse, Faramir crouched down and examined them. They definitely weren't deer tracks, or of any other animal for that matter, not even spiders. It didn't look like footsteps either. The upper layer of leaves was disturbed, like they were picked up and dropped again. It didn't make any sense.

A few feet further there was a broken twig, hanging limply from a tree branch. The man's brow pulled together in a confused look. Eyeing the disturbed leaves on the ground, the freshly broken twig one and a half metres up in the tree and then the leaves again he heaved an exasperate sigh.

"This just isn't possible!" Faramir said and sat on his knees next to the upturned leaves.

They didn't tell him anymore then a few moments ago. Muttering he stood up and walked to the tree. The twig still looked the same as well.

Wearily, he passed his hand over his face, while thinking of an explanation. These confusing and absurd tracks did nothing to ease his nerves. It felt like someone was playing a game with him. Someone, who thought, that by spooking him enough, he might turn around and go out of the forest.

That someone would have succeeded if Faramir would just have been a traveller without a 'mission'. Since this was not the case, it didn't work. In fact, the twenty-one-year-old man started to become angry and did something no reasonably thinking person would do; he started yelling...

"I don't know who you are, but would you just leave me alone! I have had it with these little games and all. So show yourself or go away!"

The silence was deafening after the outburst and Faramir cursed himself for getting out of control like that. He was just turning around to his horse when a sound reached his ears…laughing.

He looked around nervously and swallowed. No one could be seen and yet the sound came from very close by. His hand went to his sword and he was prepared to draw it.

"I would not do that if I were you."

Faramir yelped out in surprise, for the melodic voice came from right behind him. He swivelled around, repressed the urge to draw his sword and was looking at the tip of a deadly arrow just a few centimetres away from his face.

He stood perfectly still and didn't even dare to breathe. There weren't supposed to be people here! He was told the southern part of Mirkwood was uninhabited. Just spiders there and other animals…not things that could sneak up and shoot you.

His body reminded him to breathe again; so he let out a shuddering breath and continued to breathe like he just run a long race. His shock was easing away a bit. The man took his eyes off the point and looked at the one aiming that point.

Colour drained from his face as he recognised the being before him; an elf! That was what he thought at least. Tales, told by mothers to keep their children quiet, came to him. Tales that his mother had also told him when he was little…and had frequently kept him awake because of nightmares. He had never said anything about those nightmares, so Finduilas told them often.

The elf, he was sure now, was as tall as Faramir was. Silvery blond hair was kept out of his face with braids. His clothing had the colour of the surrounding woods, making it very possible the man had overlooked him earlier.

One swift glance around him was enough to see he was surrounded.

"You aren't supposed to be here!" Was the first thing he blurted out.

The elf eyed him with an annoyed look.

"We have always been here, mortal. It is _you_ who isn't supposed to be here."

Faramir didn't like the way the word 'mortal' was said, but decided to let it rest instead of making matters even worse then they already were.

"Me? What did I do?" As far as he knew, this part of Mirkwood was free to anyone whom wished to enter it.

"You have trespassed the lands of our Lord and Lady, mortal."

"Lord and Lady?" Was the confused reply. 'What is going on here?' Faramir thought. No one had told him about this lord and lady, whoever they were.

"Yes. You have trespassed the borders of Lothlórien, the land of our Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel."

"Lothlórien?" Whispered the man. "I am not in Mirkwood?"

Now it was the elf's turn to look confused. He slowly aimed the arrow to the ground and stepped up closer.

"Mirkwood is many miles east of here and it is the place you will not be going to for now."

Faramir swallowed and tried to get his building fear and panic under control. Éomer's warning about the witch and her spells were running through his mind: 'Few come out who once go in, and of that few none have escaped unscathed'.

The elf gave some orders and the other elves started moving, a few still had their arrow aimed at him.

"You will come with us to be brought before the Lady."

'Run!' was Faramir's only thought and he was looking for a way out.

"You would be shot, before you had taken one step in your flight." The elf informed him while taking another step closer. Faramir took a step back and his eyes darted up to the elf before him.

"I will not come with you." He stated boldly, but the quiver in his voice betrayed him.

His mouth and throat were dry from fear, eliciting another round of coughs, which left him gasping for air. The silver haired elf bore a mildly concerned look on his fair face. The sound of a horn turned that look in one of surprise and then in anger.

It looked like they had forgotten all about Faramir, as orders were being shouted. All of the elves were suddenly busy, strapping their bows to their backs and clearing out the area. The man had no idea what was going on, but took advantage of the momentarily disorder and ran of as fast as his legs could carry him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Praise the mapmaker! :) Just kidding…I got one line directly from the book, it felt appropriate. Review please!

And before you asked, Finduilas was Faramir's and Boromir's mother. She died when Faramir was five years old (2988 TA)


	4. 

A/N: Hmmm…I wonder if the portrayal of the character of Faramir in the movie causes people to like him less. He is actually very noble. Anyway, thanks Emmithar and tHe InSaNe OnE for the kind reviews!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

4.

Faramir sprinted past the trees as fast as he could. Hoping he was going south and not liking it one bit he had left his horse behind. His chances of escape were small and he expected to be shot in the back any moment now.

After half an hour of running, there still were no sounds or signs of pursuit. He slowed down a bit and stopped completely to gasp for air. He felt hot and painful all over his body…not a good sign. The cold, as a result from the cold rain, had become a degree worse from the exertion he had asked of his body.

Some rocks before him looked like a good hiding place. Faramir jumped on them and lost his balance in a wave of dizziness. Loosing his footing, the man fell forward and felt a searing pain in his left shoulder. He scrambled up quickly and something warm trickled down his arm and chest.

When he looked at his shoulder, the man saw a torn cut in his tunic surrounded by blood. A sharp and bloodied point of rock on the place where he had fallen told him enough…He tried to lift his arm, but was forced to put it down again as a stab of pain went through his shoulder and made him cry out.

"Great, it just can't get any worse then this." Faramir grumbled.

Finding a reasonably comfortable place to rest, he sat down and closed his eyes.

Lothlórien! He was in the woods of the witch! To make it out alive was his top priority now, forget about finding a spider. He was in the wrong forest anyway…That was a mystery, how did he end up in the wrong forest? The map had clearly shown he was going in the right direction.

'Damn that mapmaker, probably never even _been_ in these parts before!'

What did that elf say again? Mirkwood was many miles east of here, something like that. He tried to remember what the map had looked like…more forest! That was east of here, trees, trees and even more trees!

Fear, confusion and anger, all raced through his mind. Faramir felt himself sink in darkness. Behind all the emotions, a little voice cried out to fight the unconsciousness. He was to tired to fight and fell into a painless sleep.

- - -

When he awoke again, the sky had a pinkish tint, indicating the beginning of a new day. His vision was blurry and his shoulder throbbed. He felt hot and cold at the same time. Altogether not a nice way to wake up.

The man groaned as he tried to sit up a little. Every muscle was stiff from his sleep on the cold ground, at least he was covered with a blanket…a blanket? Where did that come from? He blinked a few times to clear his eyesight, what he saw before him made him wish he had stayed asleep.

A couple of feet away from him sat three elves. They were chatting amongst themselves and sharing a meal. The non-threatening picture they presented did nothing to alleviate Faramir's growing panic. What would they do with him? Too him?

He tried to repress all to gruesome stories he had ever heard from resurfacing in his thoughts, with no luck. Fear grabbed him and he made a move to stand up, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body. An attack of vertigo nearly made the man fall on his knees, but a strong pair of hands steadied him.

He looked up in the eyes of the same elf that had told him the day before that he could not leave. Faramir tried to pull back in panic, only to be held by another pair of hands. His attempts to escape where fruitless, as he was now surrounded yet again by the three elves.

"Let me go!" The man hoarsely whispered with an aching throat, while searching for a way of escape. Even if he had pulled himself free, escaping was highly unlikely in his weakened state.

"Calm down," said a soft voice to his right. "You only injure yourself more if you keep fighting."

That sounded reasonable, Faramir's shoulder was already in enough pain to nearly knock him out again. His head felt full of cotton and he was cold. He fought his captor's a few moments longer, but when it was clear to him he wasn't getting a closer to escape, the man gave up.

The little fight had worn him out already, even though he had just slept for a long time. His legs couldn't bear his weight and he slumped forward. He was gently eased to the ground and lain down on his back. The last thing he saw, were some blurred shapes before he lost consciousness.

- - -

The three elves looked at the young man in sympathy. This wouldn't have happened if they had just paid attention the day before. His escape during the warning horn had been unexpected. They would have followed immediately if the number of orcs that had passed their borders had been less, but every guard had been needed.

"I think it is best to treat his wounds now brother, instead to wait until he is conscious again."

"Yes, I do believe you are right. His fever is getting worse, although the wound is not inflamed."

Haldir looked at the young man, who was yet again unconscious. It puzzled him why one so young was here in the first place. Tracking him down had been easy, after he had run off. The disturbed leaves were enough for even a child to follow. The elf looked up when Rúmil, his younger brother, came to stand next to him.

"I wonder where he comes from?"The younger elf said, while crouching down. He started to cut away the tunic around the wound. Orophin, even younger, joined him on the ground with a canteen of water and clean bandages.

"I believe he comes from Gondor."

Haldir and Rúmil eyed their brother with disbelieve.

"Really?" The elder said. "And how did you came by this knowledge, oh wise one?"

Orophin gave an exasperate sigh, set down the canteen of water and pulled a piece of folded paper out of his tunic. He neatly folded it open and passed it on to Haldir, who by now also sat on the ground.

Orophin then pointed at a dotted line that ran across the map, first to the west then to the north.

"I believe this is the route he took to get here. It originates from the north of what is nowadays Gondor, at the most eastern point of the Ered Nimrais."

"Well," Haldir said after a few minutes of studying the map, "this explains a great deal."

"What do you mean?" Rúmil asked, while cleaning the man's wound and inspecting the damage done by the rock.

"Look at this. You see this big forest? It's all named Mirkwood."

"And…?"

"Didn't you hear what our young friend asked me when we first caught him? He asked me 'I am not in Mirkwood?'. Confusion was written all over his face for that moment. The boy really thought he was somewhere else."

The middle brother took his eyes of the wound and looked at the map again. Then his mouth formed a little 'o'.

"I see what you mean Haldir. The maker of this map included Lórien with Mirkwood!"

"Exactly, this man's destination was Mirkwood and he thought he had reached it."

"He certainly has come a long way, but for what we still don't know." Rúmil said, then smiled a little. "Maybe he was hunting spiders!"

"Don't be absurd, no one in his right mind would want to do that." The elder silver haired elf stated. "But come now, let us bind this wound and see where his fever comes from."

They worked carefully, but weren't able to find the reason for the man's fever. The only thing they could do after binding his wound was to keep the man cool and wait for him to wake up.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: All the talk between the brothers is in elvish of course. Review please :)


	5. 

A/N: Welcome minnie, Laheara, friend and amlugwen. All new reviewers whom I haven't seen before. And Emmithar of course! *cough* read her stories *cough*

I managed to type this up between all the typing I have to do for my report. So read and enjoy :) 

The Italics are Sindarin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

5.

Waking up was a little bit better now. His shoulder didn't hurt as much as before. The hot feeling had also left his body…yes, much better.

Faramir opened his eyes and was looking at a bright blue sky. Sunlight was filtered through the many leaves on the trees. Birds were twittering to one another. All in all, very peaceful. To peaceful actually. The man tried to remember what had happened earlier that day…or was that yesterday already? Elves, yes there had been three elves!

At that thought he sat up and quickly scanned the area. There was no one in sight for the moment, but the low burning fire a meter away told him they had to be around. Standing up proved to be a lot harder to do. After a few tries, he gave up and just plopped back down on the sandy ground. 

The man then became curious as to why his shoulder wasn't hurting so much. He carefully pulled his tunic open a bit at the collar and peeked inside. A bandage covered a part of his chest and shoulder; an herby smell made his nose twitch.

Another one of those things that made him feel better: his throat wasn't aching anymore. Breathing was also a lot easier. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, savouring the refreshing fragrance of the woods. At the moment, life wasn't so bad.

It turned for the worse when Faramir opened his eyes and was, to put it mildly, startled out of his wits when he saw the elf sitting there. He hadn't been there a few seconds before!

Glancing around, he spied two other elves making their way towards them. Fear crept up again, but he knew he couldn't get up. It hadn't been possible a few minutes ago, so it was highly unlikely he would be able to stand on his legs now.

He averted his eyes to the ground and tried very hard not to shake with fear. Being injured was one thing, not even being able to get up and run away was another.

Movement in front of him made Faramir look up and he had to stifle a cry. The elf by the fire now sat right before him, just a few centimetres away. The man's hand went to his side in a gesture to pull his sword…it wasn't there! He was disarmed; he could even feel they had taken away the hidden knife in his boot. Not so hidden after all.

Not being able to do anything, he just stared at the silver haired elf, trying to hide his growing apprehension. When the elf carefully laid a hand on his injured shoulder, the man scrambled back, only to back into the rocks behind him. He looked at the other, whom still had his hand were it was before, with big eyes.

"What is your name?"

Faramir almost missed the soft-spoken question. He willed his muscles to relax in order to answer…only a whisper left his mouth.

"Faramir."

"Well then Faramir, my name is Haldir. The other two by the fire are my brothers Rúmil and Orophin. They do not completely understand the Westron tongue. Now, how do you feel?"

"Better," was the short reply. 

When it was clear to Haldir he wouldn't get any more words out of the young man, he reached behind him and offered Faramir a cup of water. The man took it, but eyed it suspiciously. His thirst then overruled his caution and he quickly drained the cup.

"I will explain to you what the procedure is with trespassers," Haldir said. He noticed the man turned even paler.

"Do not worry, young one. We will only bring you before our Lord and Lady. If you explain to them the reason why you are here and be sincere to them, you have nothing to fear. For I believe there has been a misunderstanding and you really didn't know where you were."

Orophin came over and sat on his heels next to his brother. In his hand he held a piece of folded paper, which Faramir recognised as the map. Then the elf took out another piece of paper and laid it next to the man's map. At first Faramir didn't saw any difference, then his eyes fell on Mirkwood.

His own map showed one big forest, the elf's map also had a big forest but one that didn't actually reach the Misty Mountains at all. And look…in the south was a much smaller forest! Haldir pointed at the smaller one.

"This is where we are now, Lothlórien. As you can see, Mirkwood isn't as big as your mapmaker made it to be."

Faramir just stared at the map, than he looked up with something else then fear in his eyes.

"But…I didn't mean too…I didn't want…" the man stuttered very confused.

"I know," Haldir said, understanding what the man tried to say. "You are not to blame for this mistake, although I do think you should fire that mapmaker." He added with a smile, hoping to put the young man at ease a bit.

It did work, cause Faramir gave him a slight smile back, the tension leaving his body.

"Aye, I shall discus it with my father…if I can go home."

"You cannot go home just yet. First you have to regain some strength, you can't even stand on your legs right now. After that, we will travel to Caras Galadhon."

__

"Haldir, ask him what he was going to do in Mirkwood. Ask him if he was going to catch spiders!" Rúmil called from his sitting place at the fire. The dark haired man didn't understand a word of that sentence…and didn't like it one bit. Haldir translated it with a curious tone. 

"Well…" Faramir began, turning an interesting shade of red. "Actually…"

Orophin sensed the embarrassment coming of the man and understood his brother had probably guessed for himself what the dark haired man was doing here. Haldir soon caught on as well.

"Spiders? That was reason why you came to Mirkwood? To hunt spiders…why!?"

The unbelieving tone made Faramir feel very foolish at that point. He gathered his remaining dignity around him and answered in a steady voice.

"Yes, spiders. I wanted to catch a spider and take it with me to Gondor. It is a matter of proving I can take care of myself." As soon as he realised what he had said, the dignity scattered away. His father was right! He was worthless and a terrible soldier. He couldn't even find his way to the right forest!

The man sighed deeply and saw his chances of earning his father's approval fly away.

__

"There is more to this then just proving he can take care of himself, brother." Rúmil said, after Haldir had translated. _"He looks like the world is going to end."_

"I believe you are right. So young and already so much to live up too." Haldir then continued in Westron and offered Faramir something to eat.

"Here, you must eat. We will start walking tomorrow. It's a two day trip to the gates."

The young man took the offered food and nibbled at it, his thoughts still occupied what the cost would be of his failure.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: I tried to capture the way Faramir would feel about his 'mistake'. Did it make you sad? Review please! 


	6. 

A/N: Hello to The Oboist's Apprentice, Caroly and acacia (Of course Faramir will interact with Galadriel :)). Glad you are enjoying it. Thank you Emmithar (read 'found and lost again!) and ThE iNsAnE oNe *gives an inflatable Faramir* for sticking with me.

What a messy note this is…anyway, disclaimer is in chap one and '**' means a change of place this time.

Italics are Sindarin

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

6.

They stayed with the rocks for another day and left in the early afternoon. Faramir stood on his feet again, still a bit unstable. He had not realised how much weight he had actually lost during his short sickness. Not until he felt his breeches was less fitting than normal. His strength had left him as well for the most part.

'I can't walk for two days! I doubt I can even walk two hours before my legs give in.' The man thought after they were on the way for only ten minutes. He would trade his father's kingdom for his horse now!

Luckily, the elves didn't much care for his father's kingdom.

Not really watching where he was going, Faramir bumped into something big and warm. When he looked up, a sloppy mouth came past his cheek, followed by a nicker. His horse!

"I believe this belongs to you?" Haldir said, handing him the reins. "Do you need help to mount?"

The man was never happier to see his beast and really smiled for the first time in a long while.

"No, I can manage. Thank you."

Before mounting, he checked to see if the mare was properly saddled. Then patted her nose and climb, non-to gracious, in the saddle. His shoulder protested at the movements. He gasped in pain and closed his eyes, willing the burning feeling away.

__

"Are you alright?" A soft voice and touch made him open his eyes. One of those brothers, 'was it Orophin?', stood by his side. Faramir stared at the elf in confusion, with absolutely no idea what was just said. 

With arched eyebrows, Orophin pointed at the man's left shoulder, silently asking if there was still pain. Understanding what the elf wanted to know, he grimaced. That was probably enough information, as the silver haired being offered him some green leaves and signed that he should eat them. Faramir put the leaves in his mouth and slowly chewed on them. The bitter taste made him swallow quickly and was grateful for the offered flask with water.

Orophin gently took hold of the reins and led the horse. The man wanted to object at first, but then saw it was just a security matter. With nothing else to do but sit and keep balance, Faramir decided he might as well enjoy his surroundings. But no matter how hard he tried to be distracted, his stomach kept knotting up whenever he thought of the upcoming meeting with the Rulers of the forest.

**

The wind and rain shook the shutters in their hinges. Heavy thunder made the glass on the table tremble. It was a bad storm…and Boromir hoped it was releasing its force just on Gondor. If his brother was out there in these conditions. 

Guilt instantly filled his mind again. What had he been thinking! Sending his brother out there with such a stupid challenge. His _little_ brother, just twenty one, all alone…He had no doubt about Faramir's skills with a sword or bow, but was worried more about the testing of those abilities in real combat. 

The reason why he had offered the challenge to his brother was purely to help him. It wasn't a big secret that their father favoured his eldest son over the younger one. If Faramir could pull this spider business of, then maybe he would finally get some encouraging words. And if he couldn't, then no harm was done, since Denethor knew nothing about it.

There had been one, just one question from father concerning Faramir's whereabouts. The answer had been the truth: he is visiting Edoras. He didn't add: and journeying north towards Mirkwood. 

Those four words had been enough for Denethor to explain his younger son's absence for about 5 weeks now. Showing Boromir just how 'much' he really cared. 

Taking a sip from his wine, the man sat back in the big chair and stared in the flames of the fire. He made an attempt to think about the upcoming fair, but after a few minutes, his thoughts drifted back to Faramir. 

What if he is badly injured and there is no one around to help him? What if he became sick and was lying unconscious somewhere in a puddle of mud? What if he encountered servants of the Dark One!? What if…

A knock on his door startled him and he spilt some wine on his tunic. Before he could give the knocking person permission to enter, the door already swung open, revealing an angry Denethor. Boromir quickly stood up and made a bow. His father was before him with two big steps and grabbed his shoulders.

"Where…is…Faramir?" Each word was punctuated by a firm shake.

"He is in Edoras, father." Boromir answered with a slight quiver in his voice.

"Do not lie to me son! He is NOT in Edoras."

Now how would he know that, thought the younger man. His question was answered as if his father knew what he was thinking.

"I just got word that he has left Edoras three weeks ago, heading north. If you know something about this, Boromir. Then I suggest you tell me now." The icy tone could have frozen the Anduin.

He could not betray his younger sibling, so he did something he had last done when he was seven and had received a severe punishment for it…he lied to his father.

"Father, I do not know where he is. He only told me he went to Edoras to see if there where some stallions who could cover our mares." 

Let him believe me, let him believe me…

Denethor relaxed his grip, spun on his heels and went out of the room as fast as he had come in. Boromir just stood there, not really knowing what had just happened, staring at the open doorway.

Did he believe me?

He quietly closed his door and bolted it. Leaning against the wood with his forehead, he sent out a silent prayer to Faramir.

Please brother, succeed and come back quickly!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I just couldn't leave dear Boromir out of this. So what do you think of him or of Denethor? I don't even know what to think of the latter! Review please and tell me your thoughts! 


	7. 

A/N: FF.net has given me some problems on Sunday and Monday, so excuse me for the late update. (I couldn't even log in!)

First: Italics are Sindarin, '**' passage of time, disclaimer in chapter one…did I miss something? Alright :) Second: thanks to the reviewers! I am still laughing about 'two men and a thornbush' InSaNe OnE.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

7.

The two-day travelling went on pretty uneventful and Faramir felt totally useless. Orophin kept him company the entire day, but the language barrier prevented any conversation they might have wanted to have. Softly singing a song to himself, the man shifted a bit in his saddle, catching the attention of the elf next to him with both actions, but most with his song.

"In Dwimordene, in Lórien

Seldom have walked the feet of Men,

Few mortal eyes have seen the light

That lies there ever, long and bright.

Galadriel! Galadriel!

Clear is the water in your well;

White is the star in your white hand;

Unmarred, unstained is leaf and land

In Dwimordene, in Lórien

More fair than thoughts of Mortal Men."

As the song died away, Faramir remembered the day he had heard that strange song from an old soldier. It had to be about six years ago now and he had watched a veteran clean his gear in the pale spring sun. When the older man had started to sing the interesting song, the dark haired boy wouldn't go away until the song was taught to him. The question from whence the song came brought up a long story from when Ecthelion II still ruled over Gondor. But in short, the soldier himself had learned it from another soldier named Thorongil.

A quick search had told Faramir that someone by that name did serve in his grandfather's army, but the soldier's name didn't show up in any military report after the year 2980. No report ever mentioned the name again, making it very likely that the soldier named Thorongil had just resigned…only for the fact that his name didn't show up in that list either.

And now, as Faramir saw the woods for himself he finally understood the last sentence. No man could imagine something like this! Not even he, even though he could think of a lot of fair things. 

Busy musing over fair things, mostly women, he missed the conversation going on next to him. Although he wouldn't have known what was said if he had listened.

__

"Tell me brother, you understood what he sang. I only caught the name of our Lady and our land. What was the rest of the song about?" 

Orophin gave Haldir an inquisitory glance, while also keeping an eye on the young man, whom seemed lost in thought for the moment.

__

"He did sang about our land and that it is more fair than any mortal man can think of."

The elf translated the song and watched his younger brother's reaction. When Orophin's eyebrows went up, Haldir knew his brother had recognised it.

__

"Aragorn has sung that, when he visited not so long ago." The younger elf said in a hushed tone.

__

"Aye, now be quiet about him, this man is from Gondor and to hear that the man who is really the King of your land is alive and has been a soldier in their army…"

Orophin nodded and didn't talk about it again. 

**

When they reached the gates of the city it was already late at night. Haldir had wanted to reach Caras Galadhon as soon as possible. There was still the threat of orcs at the border and every guard was needed there. It had not escaped his notion that his little brother and the young man seemed to be comfortable together, even though they couldn't converse. Sign language was the main communication between the two.

At the moment, Haldir saw Faramir asleep in the saddle, with Orophin making sure he didn't fall to the ground. It was only natural the younger elf took interest in the man, not many of those around here! 

A knock on the gate with a few spoken words made the gates open soundlessly. Faramir choose that moment to startle into wakefulness. He looked around and saw high walls surrounded him. His sudden motions alerted the elf next to him of his state. Orophin smiled reassuringly when he noticed the man's discomfort.

Then they reached many paths, all going up a hill. No folk could he see; but there were many voices, about them, and in the air above. Far away up on the hill Faramir could hear the sound of singing falling from on high like soft rain upon leaves.

His horse could go no further, for he could see a flight of stairs not far from them. He looked at Orophin, whom signalled that he should dismount. Standing with both feet on the ground once more, Faramir stretched a bit, to become fully awake. Taking a deep breath, he followed the elf up one of the paths. Haldir was behind him. Rúmil was nowhere in sight anymore.

After a long walk, where they passed other paths and more stairs, they came to a wide lawn illuminated by silver lamps. The man was very curious how the light came to be such a silvery colour, when his eyes fell upon a great tree. It stood on the south side of the lawn and was huge. He gaped at it with his mouth wide open. Looking up, Faramir craned his neck to see the top, but wide branches far above them shielded it.

A broad white ladder clung to the side of the tree and three elves sat there. Haldir had a quiet talk with them and one of the guards blew a clear note on a small horn that was answered three times from somewhere above.

The elder elf then turned back to Faramir.

"The Lord and Lady await you. It's a long climb up, but you may rest upon the way." With that he started to go up the stairs. The man swallowed and stepped on the stairs, his stomach knotting up again. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: The bookreaders must have noticed it! I have taken most of the description of Lórien directly from the book ('The mirror of Galadriel'). The song comes from the chapter 'The king of the Golden Hall'. I thought it fitting. Dwimordene is the name of Lórien among the Rohirrim, meaning 'magical wood'.


	8. 

A/N: The antibiotics have worked and I am almost completely healthy again :). So here is the next chapter, a week later then normal. Thanks Caroly, ThE iNsAnE oNe and Emmithar (you go read FotR!!) for reviewing.

Italics are Sindarin, '**' passage of time.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

8.

The stairs went on and on, higher and higher, past many flets. Faramir already walked on the trunk side of the stairs, since he got rather dizzy when he happened to look down. After a while they came to a wide _talan_, as Orophin had called it. It had green and silver walls on all sides, giving it the appearance of a hall. The shape was oval and was build around the tree trunk. The man gaped around him, his throat very dry. Haldir suddenly stopped walking and made a deep bow. Faramir looked up and laid eyes on the Lord and Lady. 

They were both standing to greet their guest. The man quickly bowed himself, feeling very awkward and apprehensive. The Lady was dressed in white and had long golden hair; the Lord was wearing a robe of silver-blue hue with long silver hair. They didn't look old to Faramir, but when the Lord Celeborn locked eyes with him, he saw the wisdom and memories there of times long past.

"Welcome Faramir son of Denethor. Long it has been since a man of Gondor has last set foot in this realm," said Celeborn. "Tell us of the reason for this visit, Steward's son."

The dark haired man was speechless and averted his eyes; how could they have known who his father was? More important; what would they do with that information?

It took a few moments for Faramir to find his voice again, then the story tumbled out.

"I am really sorry for trespassing, really! It was an accident. I meant to go to Mirkwood, but the map wasn't correct. So while making my way to what I thought was the south border of that forest, I actually came straight to Lórien. It wasn't until your guards found me that I knew I was in the wrong place…"

His tone had risen and started quavering, when the Lady held up her hand and the man fell silent. He noticed he had crumbled the hem of his shirt, a bad habit that popped up whenever he was nervous. Galadriel looked at him with a soft smile on her lips, making Faramir blush, another bad habit.

"Your explanation has told us that this is just a misunderstanding. You have spoken the truth, young Faramir." She exchanged a glance with her husband, then directed her words back again.

"You have our leave to pass freely through Lothlórien. If you desire so, a room can be prepared for you to rest. The journey which brought you here has been long and I have no doubt that you need to regain your strength ere you return to Gondor."

Faramir, who had expected to be thrown out of the city immediately, was once again speechless. His mouth made a few movements, until he finally found the right words

"Tha…Thank you."

All his training at court about making proper speeches had left him. He could only sigh in relief.

"Thank you." He said again, to the Lord and Lady, who were both smiling now. 

"Go now," Celeborn said, "we will talk later, when you are properly rested."

Faramir recognised the dismissal and bowed again, this time with a small smile of his own. A nudge made him turn around. Orophin stood next to him, with a bright smile, indicating the man should follow. The elf shepherded him back towards the stairs and they made their way down although not all the way.

They stopped at an intersection with another path and followed it. After a while, they came to a _talan_. It also had walls and a door without lock. Faramir went in and found a cosy, well-illuminated room with a small table, chair and a chest for cloths on one side. On the other side was a comfortable bed. Orophin flashed him another smile, a mock bow and left the man alone.

Suddenly feeling tired, Faramir walked to the bed and sat on it. Getting rid of his boots, he laid down without even bothering covering himself with the blankets. And for the first time in a few weeks, he slept soundly and didn't wake up until well into the next day.

**

Waking up was more difficult than it had been before. Faramir was surprised by how stiff and warm his shoulder felt. A throbbing pain radiated down his arm, back and chest. He sat up and swung his legs out of bed. Dizziness overcame him and the man nearly blacked out. Taking conscious breaths, he sat for a few moments, then stood up and made his way to the small table. Someone had put a bowl on it, next to a pitcher filled with water. A small towel hung over the chair. 

Faramir freshened himself up and saw his pack lying in a corner. Wondering how someone had been able to enter the room without him noticing it, the man searched for a fresh tunic. Just when he was ready to go through the pack for a third time, since he couldn't find the tunic, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Opening the door, he found Orophin standing there, with a small pile of clothes in his hand. Faramir recognised them as his belongings.

"Hey, what are you doing with my clothes?" He said, while pointing at the dark pieces of cloth. The elf could deduce, from the rising tone in the sentence and the hand gesture towards what he was carrying that the man wanted to know what had happened to his clothing.

Putting the small stack on the foot of the bed, Orophin answered, while making a scrubbing motion with his hands.

__

"I have had them cleaned." 

Faramir nodded and tried to get out of the tunic he had worn in bed; he wasn't able to lift his left arm. The silver haired elf saw the man had trouble unclothing and came to his rescue. Once the tunic was out, the dark haired man let himself fall on the bed, already tired again. His vision swam for a moment, then cleared again.

Orophin was sitting next to him, gently taking the bandage of. What he saw made him hiss. The flesh around the wound was a bright red and a heat came of it. The elf wondered why it was inflamed, since they had cleaned it every day. 

Faramir suddenly clutched the elf's arm in an attempt to steady himself. He barely registered Orophin's tries to catch his attention as the darkness overcame him and he fell into unconsciousness. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I am stopping now, my head is pounding and I can already hear my mother say 'I told you that you shouldn't sit behind the computer for so long, you still need rest.' Bah…I don't like it when she is right about these kinds of things. Anyway, review please and I will feel better! :) 


	9. 

A/N: Are you reading the 'wheel of time' series Emmithar? I have read three books, but then lost interest because I was so annoyed of the continues 'fight' between the men and women and at the long time it took for something to happen. Good luck reading!

Well ThE iNsAnE oNe, you wanted him sick, probably so you have an excuse to hug him! *bg*. Btw, I nearly died from laughing when I read chapter two of 'Two men and…'. I am grinning like an idiot now that I think of it again :)

Caroly, I would be nervous too if faced with such overwhelming personalities and I am feeling much better now, thanks!

I do wish to point out to you that I have changed Faramir's hair colour from blond to dark. Acacia was so kind to tell me, that in RotK it is written that the man has dark hair. It was just one little sentence and I had forgotten about it. So thank you again acacia!

So to end this, to long, note I wish to say: this chapter is mainly from Orophin's POV. My plans to make Haldir a sort of friend to Faramir, have gone out of the window. His little brother was way too curious about the man and I couldn't drag the elf away from him with ten horses. 

*looks at the earlier mentioned written draft in her lap* I guess I will just have to burn this…

All speech is in Sindarin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

9.

Orophin managed to catch the young man before he fell to the ground. At first puzzled by this sudden faint he then felt Faramir shiver against him while at the same time he radiated warmth. Shifting a bit, so he had a better hold, the elf carefully lay the man on his back. And after a short battle with the blankets, covered him up. He then wanted to hurry out to find a healer, but bumped into one of his brothers on the way out.

"Why the haste little brother?" Asked Haldir, taking note of Orophin's worried expression.

"It's Faramir, he looked fine one minute and the next he collapsed. I was on my way to get a healer."

"Stay with the man Orophin, I will get a healer," and took of just as suddenly as he had appeared.

The younger elf just stood there, wondering what had just happened, then went back inside. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the man, who looked very young all of a sudden. Orophin wasn't an expert on judging age, since the only other man around had been Aragorn…and even that wasn't a good comparison, since that man had a longer life span because of his heritage! 

Faramir hadn't told them how old he was, but his face, which didn't hold the lines or the weathered look of someone more experienced, showed his youthfulness. The elf did think he was old enough to be legally considered an adult, but young enough to have to prove his worthiness as one.

Stroking some dark hair out of Faramir's face, Orophin noted the warmth that radiated from the man. He remembered the pitcher he had seen standing on the table and walked to it. While pouring some water into the bowl with one hand, he took the small towel and gave it a firm shake to unfold it. 

Taking both the bowl and towel with him, he sat on the bed again. The elf wetted the towel and put the bowl on the floor, careful not to knock it over. He then gently swiped the cloth over the man's face, trying to cool him a bit. 

Faramir shivered and turned his head away from the coldness, earning him an amused smile from Orophin, whom put the towel away for a moment to pull the blanket over the man up to his chin. He left one corner of body uncovered, wanting to take a better look at the wound on the young man's shoulder.

At first the elf had thought the wound was very badly inflamed, but on closer inspection it wasn't very severe. The skin around the wound was very warm and red, but not so much it would render someone unconscious. When Faramir started coughing, Orophin thought of the man's condition when they had first tracked and followed him; he had the same cough then as he did now.

Was Faramir sick? Aragorn had explained to him that men could get sick for no apparent reason. And that when there was someone sick, another nearby could get sick too. While pondering this strange idea, a healer came in being followed closely by Haldir.

Orophin didn't recognise the dark-haired healer, even though he knew every elf in Lórien at least by face. His brother took him aside, while the healer went to Faramir.

"This is Almare, she has just arrived from Imladris. She has experience with sicknesses of men."

"Thank you brother, I really don't understand why he is…sick." Orophin said the last word a bit awkwardly. Haldir shook his head.

"I am not sure either, but healer Almare will find out. I am sorry brother, but I have to go now. There has been some disturbance again in the south."

"I will come with you," the younger elf said.

"You do not wish to stay here?"

In truth, he did want to stay and help Faramir. He did not know _how _he could help the man, but there must be something he could do! On the other hand, he did not want to abandon his brother either. Orophin shuffled with his feet and looked at the bed. Haldir took the decision for him.

"Stay here Orophin. I already have enough men to take with me, including Rúmil. You can watch over the young one." 

"Thank you Haldir," he said, while giving his elder brother a quick hug. "Just be careful out there." 

Haldir raised an eyebrow at that and snorted.

"You warn me to be careful? Do I need to remind you of the time when you…"

"NO!" Orophin interrupted with a smile.

"Really? To bad…" his brother said with a smile as well. "I don't exactly know when we will be back, but it will not be long. Take care little brother!" 

"Aye, I will. Bye!" The younger elf said, while Haldir made his way out of the room. He then turned and went to stand next to the healer. She glanced at him and nodded her greeting.

"What is wrong with him?" Orophin asked with curiosity and worry. Almare appeared deep in thought before answering.

"Well, I believe it are a number of factors that made him lose consciousness. At first he is exhausted, look at the dark circles under his eyes. Second; he is to thin, I will have someone bring light food for him which he should eat once he is awake. You can manage to get some food in him?"

"Sure," he said with some amusement, while thinking briefly of getting a recovering brother to eat. "I have a bit of experience with that."

The healer nodded.

"Good. I believe you will need it, cause he is not going to ask for help." At Orophin's puzzled look she continued.

"I say that because he has not asked for help before. His airways are infected and must have caused him a lot of discomfort. He has a fever and the wound on his shoulder isn't healing well enough. A few herbs, found in lots of places, could have saved him a lot of trouble. If only he had told you of the pain with breathing before this, he wouldn't have had a relapse with his health."

The silver haired elf sighed.

"He already had that cough when we first found him and his shoulder wound…we didn't exactly know how long it would take to heal, it wouldn't be as fast as our wounds."

"No, I agree. But it doesn't take this long to at least see some sort of healing. I will bandage it for now, with some stronger herbs that I have taken with me from Imladris. The only thing that can be done now, however contrary it may seem, is to keep him warm. I saw you cooling his head with cold water, keep that up. It should lessen the chance of a headache when he wakes up."

"To tell you the truth," Orophin started, "I feel a bit helpless. I like him, even though we speak different languages, and I don't like it to see him like this." He sighed again and came up with something he just wanted to know. "Can you tell what his age is?"

Almare studied Faramir for a minute, while at the same time bandaging his shoulder.

"I believe he is in his early twenties, probably just reached his majority as far as I can tell. He is considered an adult in the reckoning of man, so don't baby him. They hate it when we do that. So, need more advice?"

"No, I think I can manage with this."

"Alright, his fever isn't very high. If he starts getting restless, just talk to him, he knows the sound of your voice and that is often enough. Should his fever rise, call me immediately. When he wakes up, he will within the next few hours, make sure he stays in bed and let him eat." The healer tied the bandage, then gathered a few of her belongings and left.

Orophin pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. 

"Well," he softly said to Faramir, "you certainly have a tale to tell when you get home."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: The healer Almare is just a passing character, so don't worry. It just struck me that few writers give their (mostly one-chapter) healers a name, but I was in a good mood and didn't mind searching for a name. Almare is a Quenya name derived from Anna (from where my name comes from :) ). 


	10. 

A/N: You are impatient iNsAnE oNe? I never would have guessed…:)

Well Oboist's Apprentice it's just that the border guards don't know what to do with injured humans. They don't have a lot of experience with them, since no Man in his right mind even comes close to Lórien!

Chapter ten already! This is going fast. I really have no idea how many chapters the story will have. I find it more difficult to write than 'Lost and…' though, but the promise of one chapter a week and the great reviews keep me writing!

Italics are Sindarin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

10.

The day was drawing to a close again, as the last rays of the sun fell through the window. The bustle of everyday died down and groups gathered together to enjoy a well earned meal. The only one who didn't enjoy a meal was Faramir.

He sat in bed with his back against some pillows. Orophin was standing at the entrance of the room, giving the door a nudge with his foot while balancing a tray in one hand and a mug of steaming tea in the other. 

Satisfied the door was closed, the elf came over to the bed and put the tray down on Faramir's lap. He pointed at the small assortment of light food; a few slices of bread, a bowl with soup and an orange.

__

"Eat."

That was one of the few words the man _had_ picked up in the last few days. Faramir eyed the plate dubiously, it all looked tasty, but he just wasn't hungry. He pushed the tray away from him and shook his head.

"No, I am not hungry."

Orophin sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, pushing the tray in Faramir's direction again.

__

"Eat, Faramir." He said for the second time, at the same time hoping the young man wasn't as stubborn as his own brothers were. 

"Nuh heu…" was the short reply, accompanied by another shake of the head.

The elf took the orange and began to peel it, trying to think up a tactic to get some food in the one next to him. If he could just explain to Faramir why he needed to eat or at least have some sort of discussion with the man. The language barrier suddenly seemed too wide to overcome.

Meanwhile, Faramir was thinking along the same lines. If he could just tell Orophin why he didn't want to eat. He was feeling miserable and knew he wouldn't be able to taste whatever he ate. Boromir would have understood…Suddenly feeling very alone and far away from home, he closed his eyes and tried to swallow away the lump that had formed in his throat.

__

"Faramir?"

The man opened his eyes and looked at the elf next to him. Concern shone in Orophin's eyes, not the fake concern his father would display, but real concern like his brother had always shown when something had happened. His thoughts were interrupted by a few coughs which left him feeling drained, not a normal feeling after a cough.

Have I pushed myself too hard this time? Faramir wondered. His body certainly didn't look as lean as it used to, now he was downright skinny. Maybe I do need to eat, even if I can't taste a thing. 

With that thought in mind, he hazarded a glance at the food again, then picked up a slice of bread, dipped it in the soup and took a small bite. Just as he thought; no flavour whatsoever…

Orophin smiled as he saw the dark haired man take a bite of the bread. It looked like this young one had more sense than Rúmil and Haldir, both very bad eaters when injured. The elf was tempted to help Faramir, but remembered the healer's words and only intervened when the bowl threatened to tip over.

When half the orange was eaten, the bowl empty and one slice of bread left, the man shoved the tray away from him. The elf immediately pushed the mug of cooled down tea in his hands. Faramir looked ready to object, but was really to tired to put up some sort of fight again.

He pulled a face as he took a small sip. Orophin smiled slightly and urged him to keep drinking. After a few quick swallows, the mug was empty. It had a very peculiar after-taste; one the man didn't quit trust. His already muddled mind started to become wary. Had they changed their minds about him staying in the city and tried to get rid of him the easy way…poison? Or enough sleeping herbs so he wouldn't wake up anymore!

Faramir suddenly felt very sleepy, which only added to his suspicion. His fingers couldn't hold the mug anymore and he felt Orophin take it from him. Then the elf lay him on his back again and covered him up with the blanket. The man, now very close to all out panic, tried to get up, but was stopped by the silver haired elf.

__

"Faramir, calm down," he said in a soothing voice, while trying to keep Faramir in bed, although he knew the man didn't understand him. Just as he didn't understand the sudden panic in Faramir's eyes. _"Shhhh Faramir, it's alright. Calm down, shhhh, calm down."_

After a minute of repeating the same sentence over and over, the man finally fell asleep. Orophin plopped down in the chair, disturbed and confused by what had just happened. He then slapped himself in the face. Of course Faramir had panicked like that. The herb he suspected was used in the tea to relax his breathing also had a strong drugging effect, even more so on a Man it seemed. To suddenly fall asleep like that must have been frightening! Especially when one believed one wasn't welcome in the first place.

The elf groaned at his mistake, if he could have just somehow warned Faramir of the effects of the tea…To late to dwell on that for the time being, it was time to find a way to deal with this once the man woke up. Orophin just hoped the fragile trust between them hadn't suffered permanent damage.

Not wanting to make the same mistake again, the silver haired being began to think of a solution. How could he explain to Faramir why they had given him that tea and its rather strong effects. It wouldn't be enough for someone else to explain it to the man, the elf knew that. The only solution was…of course!

__

"Now why haven't I thought of that sooner." He said out loud.

Making sure his patient was resting comfortably, Orophin picked up the tray and mug and went in search for the few elves that could speak the Common tongue. He finally ended up with lord Celeborn…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Computer problems totally ruined my writing mood and made me forget, at first, what I wanted to put in this chapter. Luckily, after a few bad starts (and the Formula one Grand Prix), my mood had cleared up and persuaded my memory to come back! So just review and I can stay sane :)


	11. 

A/N: Late chapter, because I have been away last weekend. On the way home I knocked my head really hard and had a small concussion, but other than that, I had a great weekend! 

Italics are Sindarin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

11.

Awareness returned to the man as he slowly opened his eyes. His mind was waking up a bit slower, causing him some confusing moments as he took in the strange surroundings. Someone was softly saying his name. Faramir turned his head towards the speaker. 

Orophin smiled when he saw the dark haired man reacting to the call. The man had been awake before in the past three days, but not lucid enough to understand the things that were said to him. Although the elf was glad with the progression, he was less certain about Faramir's reaction after the 'drugging incident'. His fear turned reality when the man's eyes widened in recognition.

When Faramir saw who was sitting next to him, a feeling of panic overcame him. He inhaled sharply and tried to sit up by bracing his arms under him in order to push himself up. The man's weakness was betrayed, as his arms couldn't hold his weight and he plopped down on his back again.

The silver haired elf moved closer in order to help, but was saddened to see the young man flinch away from him. Orophin held up his hands in a peaceful manner.

"Help you, I want." He said haltingly in Westron. 

Faramir actually stopped his efforts to get up and looked at the elf in amazement.

"You can speak my language…", the man whispered hoarsely, throat still a bit sore from the coughing. "Do you understand what I am saying now?"

Orophin tilted his head and seemed to be translating the sentence in his head before replying.

"A little," the elf answered, while at the same time slowly lowering his hands. He didn't want to spook the man any further. 

A stream of questions suddenly came out of Faramir. It went too fast for Orophin to make any sense of it, but the tone was angry and accusing. There didn't seem to be an end to the ranting. Tears shone in the young man's eyes, which showed the elf the rant stemmed from fear and the disability to do something. 

He wanted to tell the man it was al right, but the flood of words just didn't stop. Help came from an unexpected place.

"That is quite enough young one!"

The booming voice from the doorway startled Faramir enough for him to fall silent in mid-sentence. He gaped at the tall silver haired elf and recognised him immediately; Lord Celeborn!

The Lord entered swiftly and knelt next to Orophin.

__

"Are you alright? Why was he yelling at you?"

__

"It's alright my Lord. He is just afraid and confused at the moment." The younger elf answered. He looked at Faramir and sighed when he saw distrust in the grey eyes. 

Celeborn followed his line of sight and could also see the insecurity in the young man's heart. He stood up and slowly walked to the other side the bed. There he sat done on the edge of it. The elf reached out his hand and moved it towards the man's forehead in order to determine if there still was a fever.

Faramir mistook the gesture for something less innocent. He found the strength to fling his arm over his head and closed his eyes tightly. The expected hit never came, only soft murmur of soothing words.

"It's alright, nobody is going to hurt you Faramir. Calm down child, it's alright."

Carefully opening his eyes, Faramir peaked at the elf Lord from under his arm. Still tense in case this was just a ruse, he removed his arm and lay it down next to him. Celeborn gently extended his hand again and let it rest on the man's forehead. The fever had dropped, but he felt the man tremble under his touch.

Orophin followed every move, wanting to ask about the man's health, but knowing a conversation in Sindarin would only bring up more distrust. Finally, his Lord spoke again, although the younger elf only understood half of it.

"You no longer have a fever young one. I am glad for that, because this means Orophin will finally get some sleep," the elf said with a kind smile, serving its intended purpose as Faramir relaxed a little bit and didn't look like he was facing a horde of orcs.

"Do you wish to sit up a bit?" 

The Gondorian nodded and tried to resume where he had left of before the elder elf had entered. After a few attempts, he was still lying on his back. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Faramir nervously looked up at the elves.

"Could you help me…please?" He whispered, as if afraid to show his need for help.

Orophin understood the man this time and looked at Celeborn. The latter nodded and gave the former a quick wink. The younger elf realised this was exactly the question the other had waited for. 

"We will help." was his reply in accented Westron. 

Both elves moved forward. Orophin gently supported Faramir as he sat upright, while Celeborn arranged the pillows behind the man. They moved him back until he was resting against the pillows.

When all was settled to the older elf's liking he handed the dark haired man a cup of water and sat himself down again on the edge of the bed.

"It's just water Faramir," the elf said as he noticed the young man's reluctance to drink. Faramir finally took a small sip and a bigger one after that.

"So," the silver haired Lord began, "now that you have quenched your thirst, I want to know why you were yelling at Orophin when I came in." 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: The elves taught the trees how to speak (!), so I didn't think it would be difficult for them to learn a new language themselves. In this case; Westron. 

I just realised there in an overwhelming amount of Celeborn in this chapter. The reason is, I just needed him, since I don't think it's possible for Orophin to have learned Westron _that_ quickly. Review please :) 

Btw, I sort of guessed Faramir's eye colour, please correct me if I am wrong!


	12. 

A/N: Three new reviewers! A big hello to Nerwen Calaelen, JeanB and SperryDee, thank you for your nice reviews. Also a thanks to the other faithful reviewers, that would be Emmithar (love your stories as well), ThE iNsAnE oNe (feeling much better, so is Faramir) and acacia (you hurry up with chapter 11!).

To answer two questions: Nerwen, who says anything about Denethor actually believing Boromir? *bg* Even the latter is not sure himself…

And JeanB, very flattering to hear you say the Netherlands are beautiful *beams*.

In this story, nothing is mine. And as you all know by now: Italics are Sindarin. And *** means a jump in place.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

12.

Faramir felt like a five-year old under the older elf's gaze and had a feeling he was acting that age too. Never had he hidden under his arm like a weakling, why he had done it in the first place was still a mystery to him. His father had hit him only once or twice, not even really hard, when he had disobeyed. But never any abuse that would prompt such a reaction. Could it have been mistrust, the fear of being seriously hurt by the elves? Faramir swallowed as he came to the conclusion that that was indeed the reason he had made such a defensive move.

The man then realised how silent it was in the room and that Celeborn was waiting for an answer. He tried his very best not to stutter as he started to explain himself, keeping his eyes fixed on the bedcovers.

"I…I wanted the know why he had drugged me, without explaining to me what he was doing. It was really…well, I was really scared when I started to fall asleep like that. Then I heard him talk Westron and I just felt a bit betrayed…"

Celeborn provided a quick translation for Orophin, who in turn said something back with a regret filled voice. The older elf looked sternly at the younger one for a moment, then directed his attention back at Faramir, who was watching the exchange with big eyes.

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding, Faramir," said Celeborn. "Orophin did not know the tea would be as strong as it was and have such an effect on a Man. And as for the Westron, while you were asleep, I taught him a few words and sentences at his own request."

The silver haired elf watched as the man, while biting his lower lip, thought the words over. Hoping this was enough information to gain back the lost trust, Celeborn moved of the bed, went to sit in a chair and looked up expectantly at Orophin. The younger elf gave a slight nod of understanding and placed himself on the edge of the bed, drawing the attention of the dark haired man.

"I am sorry Faramir," the elf simply said, hoping his eyes would show the man he truly regretted the way things had gone. There wasn't much else he could say at the moment.

Faramir looked at the silver haired being next to him, not quite knowing what to say or do. He somehow did believe the elf was sorry. It puzzled the man how he knew this, but he really felt he could trust Orophin. He still wasn't very sure about the other elves though.

"Apology accepted," the man finally said in a whisper. A look of puzzlement went over the elf's face. Realising Orophin didn't understand what he had just said, Faramir raised his arm slowly and grabbed the elf's arm just above the wrist. This universal gesture was understood as the two men held each other in a warriorsgrip.

***

Throwing a sack on the bed, Boromir prepared himself for a long journey. He was getting more worried about his little brother by the day. The constant glances he kept getting from his father didn't do a thing to ease his nerves…'cause that was what he was as well; nervous. He was afraid Denethor would find out his lie.

If he doesn't know already! The man thought wryly. Well, he probably does after yesterday.

While stuffing some clean clothing in the sack he kept thinking about what had happened the other day. He had been practising on the yard when his father had approached him. Coming right to the point, the lord had told him to travel to Edoras, so he could pick up his wayward brother.

Boromir's mind had gone in overdrive, since he knew Faramir wasn't there. While trying to think of an excuse not to go there, Denethor had pushed a piece of paper in his hands.

"I want him back unharmed, you hear me. I don't care if you have to cut down the entire forest, you will find him!" And had stalked away with those words, leaving his son more than just a little bit puzzled.

His puzzlement hadn't lasted long, just until the moment he had read the letter. A letter from Éomer, explaining that Faramir had left Edoras some time ago in the direction of Mirkwood. After that came downright disbelief, his father hadn't done anything to punish him for his lie.

He will probably do that when I get back. Boromir thought as he closed the sack, took his sword and cloak, and headed towards the stables.

He had already informed some servants he was going to Edoras and that he needed supplies. Surprisingly, his horse was already saddled and ready to go. The stablemaster stood next to the big red-brown horse and smiled at the surprise he saw on Boromir's face.

"Good day, m'lord. Your horse 's packed with the supplies you requested."

"There wasn't any need for you to saddle my horse, Griffon. I wouldn't have mind to do it myself."

The elder man looked a bit embarrassed, then turned serious again.

"Rumour goes you're going to bring the young lord Faramir back 'ome, m'lord."

"Really?" Boromir asked with a raised eyebrow. News travelled fast under the maidens, servants and soldiers. Most of the time faster then official news. Any news concerning Faramir had always travelled even faster. He was well liked by the people of Gondor.

"Yes," he finally said. "I am going to search for him, although I have a good idea of were he is."

"Bring 'im back safely, m'lord." The concern was evident in Griffon's voice. The stablemaster then turned around and scolded a soldier for pulling the reins to hard.

Boromir let out a chuckle and mounted his own horse in a fluent motion. He looked back at the castle before he road out the gate and thought he saw his father standing there.

"I will bring him back safely," he vowed under his breath, then made his way toward the citygate and the road to Edoras.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Per request some Boromir! And all you readers, review please.

Almost forgot: Go read some stories from Morwen Tindomerel. Mostly Gondorian orientated stories. And read the stories of my faithful reviewers!


	13. 

A/N: So many questions concerning Boromir's fate! I will write about him a bit more, so you can all follow his tracks and see where he ends up…and if he does so unharmed or not *bg*

*holds up a new draft which includes Boromir* 

Those Gondorians are too stubborn and just able to wiggle their way into a story.

JeanB, you come from Germany? I have been there twice both school related, once to Berlin (ten hour bus ride!) and the second time to a museum in Remscheid (later that day we went to Wuppertal, drinking gluwein and being told we had to go 'immer geraden aus' to reach a certain street…we never reached the street though :) ). And yes, you spelt 'grachten' right *g*

Anyway, as I always say: Italics are Norwegian. Just kidding, they are Sindarin. Although I did think the Sindarin Legolas used in the movie sounded like some sort of Scandinavic language, or am I just hearing things that aren't there?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

13.

After the peace was settled between man and elf once again, things were back to the way they were before the drugging incident. Faramir was regaining his strength and Orophin was learning bits and pieces of Westron, enough to have simple conversations. They were having just that, two quiet weeks later, on a balcony overlooking a big part of Caras Galadhon. 

Orophin was gazing down, idly swinging his legs over the edge and leaning on the railing with his arms. Faramir was getting used to the height and sat with his back against one enclosure of the balcony, his right elbow leaning on the railing and his legs stretched out before him.

"My brother's name is Boromir. He is older then I am."

"My brothers is older then I am."

"Are," Faramir corrected. "My brothers are older."

Orophin looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded when he understood the correction. The man next to him suddenly had a curious glint in his eyes.

"How much older are your brothers?"

The silver haired elf wondered how he was going to explain that. He knew Faramir had been learning a lot about elves, had that also included their counting of years?

"You understand the word _yéni_?" Luckily, the dark haired man nodded, prompting Orophin to continue. "Rúmil is one _yén_ older. Haldir is two and a half _yén_ older."

"How old are you?" Came the long awaited question. The elf had been expecting it, so he could give a reply in Westron.

"Two-thousand six-hundred and twelve years." 

Silence.

"That's old."

"It is not."

Silence again.

"How old are you Faramir?" Orophin asked, deciding not to go into debate whether he was old or not. There was no way to compare the ages of Man to the age of an elf, so to explain he was still young wouldn't do any good.

__

"Twenty-one years," was the reply, earning the man an amused smile from the elf.

"That is young."

"It's not!"

Silence. 

It was broken with some strange sounds as Faramir tried to keep his laughter quiet. One look at the still smiling Orophin sent him off in a fit of laughter. A moment later, the elf was laughing as well. 

They both didn't notice the two figures standing at the doorway until the man happened to look in their direction. His laughter died down a bit as he tried to put a name to the two familiar faces. He gave his friend a gentle shove with his foot and pointed at the two other elves when he recognised them. 

Orophin raised an eyebrow and looked around him. His smile turned even wider as he jumped up and closed the short distance between him and the elves.

"Brothers! _You have returned!_"

The three elves embraced and launched into a merry conversation, to fast for Faramir to get even the simplest of words. He suddenly felt very alone again. 

Looking out over the city, he swallowed around the lump in his throat, overcome by a great need to see his brother again. The man closed his eyes as moisture gathered in them. 

A light hand on his shoulder caused him to look up. Haldir was crouching in front him. Rúmil and Orophin were standing behind their older brother, still talking.

"And how are you doing Faramir?"

Faramir took a deep breath and hoped his voice wasn't going to quiver.

"I am doing fine. My shoulder has healed and my strength is returning. Thank you for asking." Not wanting to appear rude, he asked a question of his own. "How did the patrol go?"

"The patrol went well. The foul creatures that had crossed our border have been either slain or driven back. No casualties amongst my troops as I expected, only a few non-threatening wounds. The lands of Lothlórien are save once again." Haldir said in an exaggerated tone and with a smile on his lips. He had noted the sad expression of the young man a few minutes before and hoped to lighten his mood a bit. It wasn't working, he concluded, as Faramir gave him a smile that didn't reach the rest of his face. The man then averted his gaze and stared out with unfocused eyes. 

Orophin plopped down next to the Gondorian and gave his brothers a silent signal that he needed to be alone with the man next to him. Haldir and Rúmil understood the reason for his request and said that they would meet again at dinner, then left the balcony leaving the two in silence.

The elf gently laid a hand on Faramir's shoulder, softly saying his name. After a short moment, the man looked at him with tear-filled eyes. 

"Oh, Faramir…" Orophin murmured. He opened his arms and enveloped the young man in a lose hug. Faramir stiffened at first, then gradually relaxed and let out his pent up homesickness.

The elf was rubbing soothing circles on Faramir's back, while letting the man sob into his shoulder. Neither one said a thing, as words were unnecessary in the display of grief and of comfort. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I was listening to 'Samwise the brave' on the Two Towers soundtrack when I wrote the last couple of paragraphs. I felt like crying myself! Review and tell me what you think about it. 


	14. 

A/N: I don't know Welsh or Irish or Gaelic so I don't know how those languages sound. About that Scandinavian…it was just a little observation I had during the movie. I do know that the books have references to Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and Greek (Atlantis = Númenor) mythologies/legends. So his languages must have some base in those area's as well.

Another point; should I make Boromir the 'Character two' of this story? There isn't an option for Orophin :( and I do plan to include the man a bit more; half a chapter here and there. 

Italics are Sindarin, '***' means time jump, no character is mine except for the horses…even though they don't have names so just ignore that *g*

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

14.

It was raining again, but this time it didn't bother the dark-haired man as much as it had the last time he was caught in the rain. Besides the timeless feeling that lingered here, Faramir also liked the fact that the weather wasn't as harsh in Lothlórien compared to outside the woodlands.

At the moment, he was actually enjoying the rain, although the handle of his sword did turn a bit slippery. A whack on his hip made him pay for his pondering about the rain. He let out a yelp and could almost feel the grin from the elf across him. A muffled laugh reached him from his left side.

"This isn't fair you know," Faramir said. "I can't even hear you!"

As it was, Orophin and Haldir had persuaded him to practise his sword fighting with them. He had first spared with only Orophin. The elves had been impressed with his skills and had decided to make it a bit more difficult. With the man's consent, they had blindfolded him. Both brothers had pounced on him after that, alternating head-on attacks with sneaky ones.

Whereas they did make some sort of sound on purpose with the first kind of attack, they were naturally silent at the second kind. Orophin had explained that they tried to make him more perceptive to things around him, at the moment, the Gondorian was just annoyed and sore.

"That is the whole point of the exercise Faramir."

The man recognised Haldir's voice and turned towards where the sound had come from before answering.

"But how do I know you are going to strike, if I don't even know where you are."

No answer came back to him, so he stood very still, concentrating on the sounds around him. He knew something was going to happen…a ghost of touch against his legs, a tap on his shoulder, little things that made him spin around. He didn't bother to lash out with his sword anymore, since his 'attacker' was gone by the time his weapon was in place.

Then he felt it, some sort of presence on his left side. Faramir could not describe the feeling, but he just knew someone was there. Feigning his movements so it looked like he was going to turn to the right, he suddenly launched.

The clang of metal against metal broke the silence as the 'attacker' had now turned into a 'defender'. The man completed a carefully arranged series of swings, before launching into another one, only to find empty space before him. A cold blade against his neck made him drop his sword in defeat.

"Well done." Orophin's voice said, before someone removed the blindfold.

The elf lowered his own sword as well and went to stand in front of the blinking Faramir.

"You can do it," the elf said with a smile. The man smiled back while he shook his head.

"But not after I have been beaten black and blue."

"Try again?" 

The grey-eyed man was tempted to recline the offer.

"You are learning now young Faramir, it would be a shame to stop."

Between the innocent look on Orophin's face and the solid argument from Haldir, the man just sighed and picked up his sword.

"Alright," he said, "after a little break please, I am getting thirsty."

The elves nodded and promptly sat themselves on the wet leaves that were scattered all around them. Faramir shrugged and picked out a log to sit on. They paused for a few minutes, before Orophin blindfolded the dark-haired man again with a mischievous glint in his eyes. A swat to the young man's bottom with the flat of a sword started the lesson. 

**

Faramir groaned as he walked up the stairs to his room. Learning a new skill came at a price, this time it were a lot of bruises. They weren't serious though, the brothers had been careful when actually hitting the man. He wasn't a lot worse off, in comparison to some training sessions he had with the weapons-master at home.

For the moment, the man just wanted to soak in a hot bath, to ease his bruises. The fates had something else in mind though. 

He practically ran into an elf as he rounded a corner. Before Faramir could come up with an apology, he was dragged off in the direction of the 'Great _talan_', as he himself called it. The place where he had been brought before the lord and lady when he came to Caras Galadhon. 

__

"The lord wishes to talk with you," the elf said to him, or at least, he thought the silver-haired being said that, since he was far from fluent in Sindarin.

By the time they reached the silvery-green hall, Faramir was ready to take a detour in order to visit the healer's _talan _and ask for some sort of salve to put on his hurting ribs. The hit to that area had been unintentionally hard. His 'escort' had other ideas, as the elf pulled him inside.

There was no one present this time, since the elf that had brought him here had suddenly disappeared, giving the man the opportunity to really look around without feeling ashamed. The place was still as wonderful as last time, maybe even more since it was in the middle of the day. Patches of sunlight fell on the floor, illuminating the hall with a golden light. 

A few birds had found a home between the beams holding up some sort of roof. The little creatures were flying to and fro with twigs, leaves, and even with pieces of fabric. Faramir sat down on one of the benches and continued to observe the multicoloured birds. They looked like ordinary blue tit, but were brighter in colour than the ones in Gondor.

His musings were interrupted when someone started talking.

"They nest there all year long, so once every few months there is the risk of being hit by a fledgling." Celeborn gave a small smile. "It wouldn't be the first time one of us had to untangle a baby bird from someone else's hair."

Faramir let the silence stretch a bit before replying.

"Then I am save in that respect, since my hair barely reaches my shoulders."

"Yes, you a quite right Faramir." The lord chuckled. "Although I am beginning to enjoy this conversation, I wanted to talk to you about some other matters of importance."

Celeborn sat down to so he could look the other one in the face, for the first time noting the dark-haired man was holding a protective arm over his ribs.

"Are you alright?" The elf therefore asked.

"Yes yes, I am alright…" Faramir answered just a bit to fast. He didn't want to delay the conversation that he knew was coming. A slight injury could be dealt with later, but Celeborn wasn't put off that easily.

"I don't think you are Faramir. Come, let me take a look."

Holding in a sigh, the man carefully pulled up his shirt to expose the left side of his torso. A big blue and black bruise spread underneath the skin. The elf lord raised his eyebrows.

"Would you care to tell me how this has happened?"

"I have spared with Orophin and Haldir today. This was just an accidental hit that was harder then they intended. Really, it's nothing, lord Celeborn."

"Hmm…" was the only response he got.

Celeborn gently probed the bruise, causing Faramir to hiss and flinch away when he reached a rather painful spot. Yes, a trip to the healer for some salve would be a good idea. The elf was apparently thinking along the same lines.

"I do not think your ribs are fractured, but I do want to take you to the healers for a more thorough examination. I doubt that this is the only bruise you have, is it not?"

"Well…"

"My point exactly. Come on, we can finish…no, make that start our conversation after a healer has taken a look at that."

"Yes sir." Faramir sighed, as he was shepherded to another _talan_. 

He was still in the dark about his fate concerning his eventual departure from Lórien. A small idea had formed in his head, but he just needed permission to do it…he still had a spider to catch in Mirkwood!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Again, let me know what you think about the Boromir matter. Thanks!


	15. 

A/N: Glad you all liked the sparring in the previous chapter, I had fun writing it :)

Now something not related to this story, but I just have to tell you. My clinical placement to a foreign country will be in Toronto, Canada! I still have a hard time believing it really. The only other countries I have been to are Belgium and Germany. So to go somewhere with a six hour time difference by plane (have never even flown before even though I live right next to a big airport…) is just great! I have to wait a year, since I'll be going in January 2004.

All right, back to the story, with the ever-faithful words: Italics are Sindarin, '***' means a jump in events, no character is mine.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

15.

A hilly plane of grass lay before him, behind him and generally in any direction the man happened to look. He had been to the planes of the Riddermark before, but it still amazed him to see so much grass at one place and he idly wondered if the sea looked anything like this…with water of course.

Boromir shook himself out of his musings. He had a little brother to find so it would not do to stand around gathering wool.

"Come on girl," he told his mare, "we have got a long way to go." With that, he gently urged his mare in an easy canter, one she would be able to hold up for some time.

As it was, they had been travelling for roughly two weeks now. A quick stop at Edoras and a conversation with young Éomer had told the Steward's Heir very little. Only that Faramir had visited some five weeks ago, but that they hadn't heard from him since then.

This was actually nothing to really worry about; the chances to accidentally encounter a courier was very slim, so it was natural no message had been sent to either Minas Tirith or Edoras. Nothing to worry about…

And if I keep telling myself that, I might actually believe it, the man thought wryly. 

To keep himself from mindful fretting, Boromir unfolded a map of the area. He saw he had to be close to a river by now, the Limlight it was named. After that, was a strip of land and then the Great River. How he was going to cross the latter was still a bit of a problem. The dark haired man assumed there had to be a ford somewhere, maybe a bit more to the west.

That was the other problem: how far west would that be. If he strayed to far, he would end up near the Golden Wood. A place he had been warned for. On the map it was a separate piece of small forest; on the map from Edoras that is. The map he had brought from home showed one big forest, tightly hugged to the Misty Mountains.

In a fleeting thought he hoped Faramir had the right map, namely one from Edoras.

The sound of running water made him look up and smile when he saw a gently flowing river. It appeared reasonably shallow and therefore easy to cross. On closer inspection it was a bit deeper than Boromir had guessed.

The horse and man were across the river in very little time, which lifted the Gondorians spirit. 

"Tomorrow we will journey onward to the Great River," he said to the mare, "and after that no more obstacles to my little brother!"

A small whiny was the reply.

*** 

At the moment, the 'little' brother was facing his own obstacles. The trip to the healer had not been eventful; he left with a soothing salve and a warning that he had to be more careful. The man and elf now were in the 'great' _talan_ again, discussing Faramir's departure…actually, the destiny of that departure. 

The dark haired man had just voiced his own ideas in that aspect. Now he just had to muster up some arguments in protest against Celeborn's reaction to his request.

"But my lord! I only ask for an escort to the east border, that's all!"

"You expect me to give you an escort, so you can get yourself killed in Mirkwood?" The elf lord appeared angry and worried at the same time. "No! I will not do that!"

Faramir, who started to get angry as well, took a few deep breaths. This almost looked like a discussion with his father! Only this time the young man was not going to change his mind and swallow the decision made by an elder. He would go alone if he had to, but that would be an argument only to be used as a last resort. 

For now, he reminded himself, speak calmly and don't lose your temper.

"With al due respect, lord Celeborn, but where I want to go is my own decision," he said in a clear voice, with a confidence he did not know he had. Probably court training kicking in, he thought. It did get the silver haired elf's attention, as he had predicted.

"I know you see me as a child, my lord, to young to make a rational choice. Maybe that is true, maybe I am making a big mistake now, but it is my mistake to make."

He intentionally inserted a few seconds of silence to let his words sink in before continuing.

"Don't think I am not grateful for your good care while I was here, cause I really am. My entire stay here is the consequence of a mistake actually and I have learned from it."

The man saw he was saying the right things, as Celeborn appeared to be calming down and was listening. Or he is just plotting to tie me up and send me back home, came back a thought. Now for the closing lines! 

"I appreciate that you are trying to keep me save, my lord, but I really need to do this. It is not some whim that I have come up with." Faramir to a step closer to the elf and dared to look him straight in the eye. "I know it will be hard, very hard, not to mention dangerous. As you probably know, I am not going to do this for the fun of it, but to earn some recognition from my brother."

"And from your father." That was a statement and the man had to work to maintain eye contact.

"Yes," he softly said, "and from my father."

Silence descended over the _talan_ again. The Gondorian did not have anything left to say, or else he would start repeating himself.

The elf was in deep thought while looking at the young man before him.

"I will give the matter some more thought Faramir. You will get an answer after the evening meal."

Knowing he was dismissed, Faramir finally broke the eye contact and left the lord alone to his thoughts.

*** 

Never had an afternoon seem to go by so slowly and the man often caught himself staring off in the distance. He idly wondered where Orophin was as the elf was always somewhere around him, but right on this day, he wasn't.

Faramir filled his afternoon with brushing his horse, taking care of his weapons, brushing his horse…

The midday did end eventually and he all but ran to get something to eat. Dinner was an informal occasion most of the time, with groups of elves sitting together on different _talans,_ enjoying a meal. The man opted for a quiet dinner on his own in his room, since Orophin or his brothers seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Half an hour later there was a knock on the door. Faramir was surprised when he opened it.

"Orophin! I have been looking for you all afternoon." He then saw the four figures behind the elf: lord Celeborn, Haldir and Rúmil. Reminding his manners, he invited them all in. His 'guests' made themselves comfortable on the chairs and on the bed. The eldest elf started the conversation without any fuss and went straight to the interesting part.

"I have thought about your request Faramir. It wasn't easy, since I almost feel like I am sending you to your death. No, no, don't interrupt me," he said, when the dark haired man opened his mouth.

"At first I decided against granting you permission, but I knew that you would probably go all alone then. Therefore I do grant you permission for your request of an escort to the east border, but only and only if you allow Orophin to join you to Mirkwood."

They all looked expectantly at Faramir, who was busy processing the condition of his excursion to Mirkwood. There still was the language problem, but he also knew that Orophin was someone he liked and that the elf had more experience in the matter of hunting than he had.

"All right," he finally said, "your guard takes me to the east border and from there on Orophin will accompany me during the hunt in Mirkwood." A little smile found a way to the man's face. "Again, I am surprised by your offer, but I am also glad. So thank you my lord." He inclined his head in respect.

"We will discuss the details of your 'trip' tomorrow. For now I bade you all a peaceful night." With those words, the lord of Lórien exited the room, leaving the brothers alone with Faramir. The latter immediately expressed his gratitude towards Orophin by giving him a quick hug. He then backed away a little embarrassed, a faint blush on his cheeks, giving the brothers something to tease him about.

The four stayed up late, already making plans for a dangerous hunt. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Well, you might see where this is all leading to…or not :) Just review and give me your ideas and speculations, I like reading them!


	16. 

A/N: I am starting to fall in love with another fantasy movie named 'Ancanar'. I read an article about it on theonering . net. It's in the spirit of the Silmarillion, but different. Check out the official site on Ancanar . com with the three w's in front of it. Lovely score as well, must have heard it dozens of times by now :)

The characters of this story do not belong to me. Italics are Sindarin and '***' is an eventjump. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

16.

The preparations for the journey took three days. Normally this would have taken even less time if the travellers had only been elves. Now, with Faramir to consider, a few additions had to be made to the packs. Extra dry and warm clothing, since the man wasn't as resistant to wet and cold weather as the elves were. Herbs to add to the medicinal pouches, which worked very well against colds and infections. 

The man made a comment that he didn't think he could life on _lembas_ only, to the amusement of Orophin, who assured him that he really could. So to ease the Gondorians mind, dried fruit and strips of meat were added as well. 

Then came the question about the means of transportation to get to Mirkwood. Faramir wanted to take his horse with him, but the elves all advised against it, since a horse could become a spider meal. After some argument, which eventually became quite heated a simple agreement was made; they would take the horse with them, but only till the edge of Mirkwood forest, there they would set the beast loose. Although the man wasn't happy about letting his horse alone in the wild, he did see the reason for it and agreed.

A time-schedule was made, so that the eastern guards of Lórien had some sort of reference point as to expect the two travellers back. In case the man and elf had still not returned six days after their expected arrival, a big search party would be send out. Celeborn, even though he was loath to send anyone to the other forest, had insisted on this extra safety matter.

So finally, on a rather sunny day, Faramir stood next to his horse checking the saddlebags to see if nothing was forgotten. He was as excited as he had been the day he had set out of Minas Tirith. Only now, there was no brother to wish him a save journey or to give him a hug for comfort. To dispel those rather emotional memories, he made himself busy with the saddlebag.

"It must be the forth time you are going through you gear Faramir," said an amused voice behind him.

The dark-haired man made a startled jump, but didn't turn around as to show his annoyance for being spooked like that. He really wasn't in the mood to play word games right now. The speaker moved to the other side of the horse and looked at Faramir while tilting his head to one side. That was a posture not many people expected from the stern Marchwarden, as it made him look very innocent and even a bit comical.

"Are you alright?" Haldir asked. "Or are you thinking about home?"

Faramir's head shot up and eyed the elf with surprise, since that was indeed what he had been thinking about…home. The urge to forget about the whole stupid dare and to just ride home had been growing. It had probably never even left, he thought with a sigh.

But something else had been growing as well; a feeling of unease whenever he thought of Boromir, a feeling that he had to go to Mirkwood no matter the costs. He realised the silver-haired being waited for an answer, so he decided to be honest, although it probably would sound very silly.

"Yes, I was thinking about home and that I actually want to go home instead of to Mirkwood. But there is something else…" he faltered for a moment and looked at Haldir to see in what kind of mood the elf was. It appeared his listener was in a serious mood once again, so the chance of being laughed at was slim.

"I don't know why, but I am concerned for Boromir. Whenever I think of him, there is this feeling of…of…wrongness. It's hard to explain, but I fear something has happened to him, or is going to happen!" His voice raised an octave as he continued. "And then I think of our destination and I know I just have to go there. It's all so confusing and I don't know what to do with this sense of uneasiness. I really don't!"

Haldir a troubled look in his eyes, which he concealed before the young man could see it. The elf recognised the power of foresight in Faramir's words. It wasn't much and would probably be labelled as pure instinct by Man, but the elder being knew better than that after living for so many years near the lady Galadriel. 

As far a he was concerned, something was going to happen and it involved the man's brother and Mirkwood forest. That combination was one to worry about. He would have a word with Orophin before they set out, informing him of Faramir's 'premonition'. For now, he had to handle this a bit forcefully so that the man wouldn't continue fretting about it and maybe even endanger himself. 

"Calm down, Faramir. Do not worry about events you cannot control. Not until you have reached your destination can you be certain about things that may have happened. What reason do you have to assume that your brother is in trouble?"

"But…"

"Yes, I know you are worried. Your feelings all tell you that there is something wrong, but trust me when I say: do not dwell on those feelings for to long, because they will keep haunting you. I will tell my brother of this, so he can make sure you will travel as fast as you can, if this eases your mind a bit." And so he can also keep you from taking unnecessary risks, he added in his mind.

"Yes please," replied Faramir, "if you would speak to him about this, I will appreciate it. He should be here any moment, so you can tell him."

Haldir nodded, then started to rummage around the saddlebags himself, considering the conversation closed for the moment. The man gave a snort.

"Really Haldir, I haven't forgotten anything. Not after checking and rechecking the bags myself."

But when the elf presented him with a very satisfied grin, Faramir just knew he had found, or rather, had not found something. The man threw his hands up and gave a big sigh.

"Alright, alright…what have I forgotten, oh wise one? Don't make me guess, just tell me please."

"Rope."

"Rope?"

"Yes, rope," said the silver-haired elf simply, clearly enjoying this.

Faramir reviewed his mental list of things he had packed and came to the conclusion he had indeed forgotten a rope. Thinking quickly, he thought of a reply.

"I haven't forgotten a rope. I just planned on packing it later," he said with feigned innocents.

The sound of laughter filled the small clearing a moment later, showing how much Haldir believed of that statement. 

*** 

Many miles east of them, someone else was far from being in a good mood. The crossing of the Great River had been downright disastrous, causing the man to loose more then half of his supplies. He hadn't found any tracks either, to indicate that his little brother had been there. 

And now he stood on the edge of a dark forest, wondering what he had been thinking when he had dared Faramir to come here. Boromir gathered all of his courage and pulled his mare with him as he entered Mirkwood forest, not knowing the real perils he had just walked into.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: The events are building up again. Review please!


	17. 

A/N: Hello there, hope you are still with me. It almost seems like everybody is busy with finals! Luckily I still have a year before I have to present my graduation project. So while you were learning, I got to see The Matrix Reloaded. Good movie with dozens of Hugo Weavings! I just kept expecting him to say 'strangers of distant lands…' :) Instead he says 'we meet again, Mr. Anderson.'

Italics are Sindarin, important in this chapter since there are mixed Sindarin and Westron sentences. The characters do not belong to me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

17. 

The man and elf were squabbling. Nothing serious, just a disagreement. They had had many of these arguments ever since they had been travelling alone. Most of the time it turned out to be a simple misunderstanding, a result of the language barrier. Even though Orophin had learned some Westron and Faramir some Sindarin, neither knew enough to prevent these things from happening.

It wasn't a miscommunication this time, but something more serious; a fall of a horse…a rather bad fall, since the Gondorian had a large gash on his forearm. Dirt and gravel had accumulated in the wound. The elf was in the process of cleaning it, when the injured man suddenly decided to show a really low pain-tolerance. 

"Ouch!" Faramir wrenched his arm out of Orophin's grasp and held it close to his body. He glared at the elf, "that hurts!"

Orophin threw his hands up and made an agitated sound. He wondered if some sweets might do the trick, considering how childish the young man before him was acting.

"Of course it hurts," he informed the man in a patronising tone, knowing how much he hated that.

"Don't talk to me like that! I am not a child anymore. Why do you always…Gods!" Orophin had taken advantage of Faramir's rant by grabbing his arm and rinsing the gash with water. The dark haired man in his turn, while groaning softly, was finally letting his companion tend to him.

As it were, the two of them had crossed the distance between Lothlórien and Mirkwood in fairly good time, without any injuries. The sight of their destination had caused Faramir to urge his horse in a wild and careless gallop. What the man had taken for a small grass-covered hill had actually been a few rocks covered with slippery moss, which caused the horse to lose it's footing. The man had not been paying attention and was thrown of rather forcefully. It earned him a gash and a few elvish curses, the latter he intended to remember to ask their meaning.

After some time, the wound was clean and Orophin was examining the damage. He gave a soft sigh of relieve when he saw it wasn't as bad as it had first looked. A clean bandage with some of the herbs against infection should be enough.

"Well?" The Gondorian asked a bit impatiently, "is it bad?"

__

"Not really," the silver-haired being replied, while searching for the pouch with herbs. "Will need time _to heal_." 

"Oh…"

The elf turned around when hearing the young man's downcast tone. It wasn't often Faramir sounded like that, only when he was upset. Now the man was also playing with the hem of his shirt, a sign that indicated nervousness. A brief feeling of accomplishment stole over Orophin as he prided himself on being able to read the man so well. He then settled himself next to the injured man, intent to find out what was bothering him.

Faramir was just feeling very stupid and embarrassed at the moment. It had been some years since he had last taken a fall from a horse, but never because of his carelessness. Even Boromir would have scolded him for something that stupid. He looked up when his travelling partner sat next to him. Expecting to see at least some anger, the man was surprised when he only saw concern.

"What is wrong, Faramir?"

"You are not angry with me?" The dark-haired man asked softly.

A small smile now played around the elf's lips when he found out what was bothering the young man. He shook his head and tried to explain.

"No, not angry. You _careless_, you fall. Your _own_ fault, now you _injured_." Was the gentle Westron/Sindarin chide and probably the only words of blame Orophin would put on him.

That was one of the things Faramir liked about the elf; he had never 'mothered' him. If he made a mistake, the elf would not become really angry with him, not even when he made a stupid mistake. But a small chide would follow, a lot like the arms master at home would do. The only times the elder treated him like a child was when he behaved like a child, like a few moments ago. 

No more words were spent on the subject as both of them considered the matter closed. The elf carefully bandaged the man's forearm and gave him a quick check for more injuries. He only found a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious.

"You _lucky_, no more wounds."

Faramir agreed with Orophin, he just wished his luck would hold when they would enter Mirkwood the next day.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: Simple sentences for Orophin. I did not want to give the elf to much knowledge of the Westron tongue, cause then I would make a liar of Haldir in FotR. Review please! 


	18. 

A/N: Alright, I am back. I was pretty stuck and had a feeling that this story wasn't going anywhere, it appeared (and still does actually) a bit chaotic. Anyway, I decided to just go for it again and I'll see where I end up :) Don't worry, I do have a general direction and draft! So I am not entirely lost.

Thanks again for your reviews, I have just reread all of them and have to say I am very happy at the moment.

Italics are Sindarin (some mixed Sindarin/Westron sentences which are grammatically not correct, I know.), '***' is a change of location/event, the characters are not mine.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

18.

The man's luck did hold out for a long time…depending on the way you looked at it. It was eerily silent in the dark forest, not a bird or other animal could be heard. Orophin thought they were lucky. Faramir on the other hand was getting restless and felt less than lucky. He wanted to see some action, preferably in the form of a spider.

The Mirkwood forest was everything the Gondorian had imagined it would be; dark, spooky and silent, with unnaturally shaped trees and an oppressive air. 

"Faramir…"

The man made an inarticulate sound without looking around to face the elf, who had said his name with a hint of warning. A strange track had caught his attention and the younger one did not want to lose it. It was unlike any track he had seen before. He sat down on his heels and lightly ran his hands over the disturbed ground.

"Faramir." 

A bit forcefully this time.

"Wait a minute Orophin, I have found something."

Muttering could be heard behind the kneeling man, a funny sound since his companion had made it know that he did not mutter. A strange squeak came out of the man's mouth when the elf hauled him up rather forcefully, completely lifting him off the ground.

"Don't do that, you…" Faramir started, until his eyes fell on the previously unnoticed things in the trees. His jaw would have dropped to the ground if it hadn't been attached firmly to his head.

"Must be careful." The elder elf whispered, while looking intensely at the dark haired man, who in his turn nodded meekly. Orophin didn't often order the young man to do anything, but when the elf did, it was best to obey…at least in Faramir's opinion. In this case the man would have obeyed just about anyone who would opt even the suggestion of being careful.

Above the two companions, between the branches of the trees, were big spider-webs. White threads crossed and tangled with each other. The darkness between the webs was even greater than the darkness of the forest, like a patch of midnight. 

Faramir smiled a little at the sight.

"Yes! We have found them," he silently said. 

"No _spiders_ here," Orophin informed him. The man didn't doubt the elf's fine hearing and relaxed.

"To bad. I wonder where they are."

"_Hopefully_ far away." Was the muttered reply behind him, just before a cry rang through the forest.

*** 

Slash.

Slash.

Duck.

Slash.

It didn't stop; the black creatures were steadily surrounding him. 

Boromir had fought hard fights before, but this was just overwhelming. His disoriented stumbling through the woods had led him directly in spider territory. At first it had just been a few small webs, not enough to alert him. Then creaking and hissing voices had made him stop to really look up. To his horror, big black spiders were sitting in even bigger webs, eyeing him with a predatory look.

A short prayer to whatever god was listening in favour of his little brother and himself was all the time he had before the creatures came swarming down. The shock to actually hear them speak, was enough for him to loose concentration. His horse had made a very strange and unnatural movement, the Gondorian lost his hold and had fallen to the ground.

After that, the man had been busy keeping the spiders away from him. Being discussed by them while fighting wasn't helping matters. He heard them cursing him, hissing sentences.

"Nice juices maybe, but not enough meat."

"Must not hang 'im to long."

"Trap it quickly, don't let the meat escape!"

"Watch the long killing thing! The small meat had it too."

What small meat with a long killing thing? Boromir thought confused, do they mean Faramir? The frightening picture that presented made him swallow. He hadn't seen any tracks, which indicated his brother had not come this way.

"Small invisible meat is gone now. We are not Attercop!" 

That last word, hissed by a fat spider on his left side, seemed to enrage the others. One got hold of his leg and Boromir cried out when the black thing bit him hard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: Don't know what an Attercop is? I suggest you reread 'the Hobbit' then :) Wait!! Don't run of immediately, review first. Thanks! 


	19. 

A/N: I wasn't as 'back' as I said in the last chapter. The earlier deletion of this chapter by my dear brother (have already strangled him) could not have been timed worse. Anyway...now I hope you aren't all on vacation!!

The characters are not mine. The only character I owned is wandering around somewhere outside of Mirkwood…the horse.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

19.

Both Faramir and Orophin froze when they heard the cry.

"That," whispered the man, "did not sound like an animal." He continued to look around in all directions to find some indication from whence the sound had come from. A light tap on his shoulder got his attention and he turned around to face the elf.

"There," Orophin said, while pointing in south-eastern direction. Faramir peered through the darkness of the trees, but could only see a few metres up ahead. He had to remind himself that technically it was still daytime and therefore it was absurd that it was so dark in the forest. 

Suddenly a flicker of movement right ahead of them caught his eye...or had it just been the swaying of branches in the wind? But there was no wind! A nervous feeling crept up on Faramir. His heart started to beat faster and he swallowed hard.

Orophin on the other hand, did see what the movement had been. A round black shape had lowered itself to the ground, causing the branches to sway and the leaves to rustle. The sound of scurrying limbs moving away from them was enough to indicate it had indeed been a spider, one that was moving in the direction of the earlier heard cry. The elf softly called his companion's name.

"Faramir…"

When he got no response from the man before him, the silver haired being again tapped on the man's shoulder. He wasn't quite prepared for the abrupt reaction he got. Faramir swivelled around with his hand already on the hilt of his sword. The quick elven response from Orophin saved the elf from any injury as the man actually drew the sword and brought it down in the exact place where the elf had been a few seconds before. Another quick response, again from the Lórien elf, disarmed the young man.

Faramir looked at the elf with horror in his eyes, his mouth worked to bring out some sound. After a few tries he managed to form the words, now with a red flush on his face.

"Gods! I...I...am sorry Orophin. I do not know what got over me! I..."

Orophin silenced the ranting Gondorian by putting his hand over the man's mouth. 

"Shhh," the elf whispered, while he listened if their noise had attracted any unwanted visitors. 

All was silent again. 

His sighed quietly with relief and directed his attention back to the young one in front of him. Orophin already knew why the man had been so severely startled by the touch. The forest, especially this one, could frighten even the most hardened soldiers, elves no exception. And since Faramir was most certainly neither of those...

"Calm, Faramir." Orophin said silently to the dark haired man. "No danger." He carefully lay his hands back on Faramir's shoulders and looked him in the face. The grey coloured eyes were still showing some fear, but the terror filled look they had a few moments ago was gone. 

"Alright now?" the elf gently asked.

After a few deep breaths, Faramir nodded and gave a small smile. Orophin returned it, letting the young man know it was all right between them. 

"Come," the elf motioned in south-eastern direction again. The man picked up his sword and suddenly wondered how he had been disarmed that quickly. With the question on his lips he turned towards his companion. A flash of silver hair just disappeared behind a tree and his name was called with a hint of impatience.

Another sigh escaped Faramir as he quickly sheathed his sword and followed Orophin through the bushes. The question had to wait.

After a few minutes of carefully making their way through the undergrowth of the forest, the elf more silent than the man, they came to the edge of a small clearing. The sight that greeted them there, was one that Faramir would remember for a long time.

On the ground, with two black hairy things on him, was Boromir. 

All thoughts fled out of the young Gondorians mind when he saw his strong brother lying there. A terrible anger welled up. 

Without thinking he drew his sword and, with a great shout, crashed through the small brush he had been sitting behind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A/N: Well...written on my auntie's computer in wordpad. So very slow this puter and I have no idea if the format is correct. Warn me if it is off please! Thanks :)

Ps: was my birthday on the 26th and my best friend has given me something wonderful. She has gone to a bookbinder and let them turn my first fanfiction ('Lost and found again' + prologue) into a book! Really great :) 


	20. 

A/N: You all had a nice vacation? Very good! I know I have :)

Thanks to my faithful reviewers. Sorry I did not continue this sooner. 

To respond to a question by amlugwen: _Attercop_ literally means 'poison-head', and was actually a word used for a variety of poisonous creatures - from _atter_, we also derive our modern word _adder_, a type of poisonous snake. I plucked this explanation of 'The encyclopedia of Arda' site, but I know the word, because Bilbo used it in the Hobbit.

Italics are Sindarin and none of the characters belong to me

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

20.

Orophin could only watch in horror as Faramir sprung into the clearing with a loud cry. The elf had been ready to discuss some sort of plan with the young Gondorian, but had forgotten the fierceness of the normally reserved Faramir whenever anger got the best of him. 

His temper will get him injured one day, the silver haired being thought, just before he let his first arrow fly toward one of the black creatures. Many others followed in rapid succession, but always careful not to hit the fighting young man.

Said young man was currently handling his sword in a rather crude way, striking out at anything within his reach in order to get to his brother as fast as possible. It looked like he was handling an axe, but at the moment it was effective.

It wasn't very long before Faramir reached Boromir, the last few meters were the easiest as the spiders fled from the man whilst hissing and shrieking. Orophin was now keeping the spiders away from both men as he stood near them. He could see that Faramir's brother was still breathing and didn't appear to be very seriously injured.

To Faramir, his brother **was** seriously injured. He had never seen Boromir look like this; unconscious, pale, ripped clothing. It was so different from what he had last seen of the older man; strong and proud, with nothing in the world that could hurt him.

Now the younger Gondorian truly realised that there were things that were stronger than his big brother and he realised how foolish he had been to take on a stupid dare. It had not seemed very stupid inside the safe walls of Minis Tirith though.

A groan from below him caught his wandering mind. Faramir carefully lay his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Boromir? Brother, can you hear me?" He asked and almost kicked himself for sounding so childish and young.

"Fara…Faramir?"

"Yes Bor, I am here. Try not to move, you are injured."

Boromir was still for a few moments, then tried to sit up. He was a bit dizzy and his leg throbbed were one of the spiders had bitten him. A hand brushing away some of his hair made him look to the side and confirmed what he would have thought was impossible; his young brother, alive and well!

He could not contain himself and pulled Faramir in a tight hug. 

"Gods little brother, I am so glad to see you."

"Yes Bor, I am glad to see you as well," came the choked reply, "but I can't breath!"

Both men shared a happy smile as Faramir was released. The momentarily forgotten Orophin cleared his throat to get their attention.

"_It is not safe here, we need to go."_

The urgency was not lost on either man. Only Faramir could understand some of the elf's words, but had picked up enough to get the general idea. He nodded and looked around.

There were still some big black spiders around them and up in the trees. None of the creatures was currently trying to get closer, but the black things were very unpredictable.

"Come on Bor, we need to get out of here. Orophin, could you help me get him up?" Faramir asked of his companion. When he saw the elf's hesitation he added, "you are stronger than I am. I will keep an eye on those things while you help my brother up, alright?"

Orophin had a hard time figuring out what the rapidly talking man had said. He therefore shook his head and made a motion that meant 'I don't understand you'. It was very frustrating for the both of them, but still neither could understand long or complex sentences of the other.

__

"Help him up, me stand watch." Came Faramir's second try, now slowly in Sindarin. That, the elf did understood and he quickly came into action. When Faramir stood up with his sword ready, Orophin knelt next to the young one's brother. The elf's bright eyes met the perplexed eyes of Boromir.

With no time to spare for a polite introduction, Orophin slipped his arm under Boromir's arm and hoisted the man up. Once he was sure the Gondorian would not fall over, he let him go and turned to Faramir.

"Faramir!"

The dark haired man glanced at the elf to let him know he had heard the call.

"Faramir, you go now. _Head west and do not stop."_ He saw the young man was ready to protest so he used his most commanding tone to let Faramir know not to disobey. He did not speak like that unless it was really serious. "Go now!"

That did the trick as Faramir quickly grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him along, sword ready. He did not look back when he left the clearing, wondering if he had done the right thing to leave Orophin alone. Boromir followed him, but didn't say a thing, also wondering, but about where his little brother had picked up the elf.

Then, they did not have time to wonder when they heard rather than saw a spider descending right before them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Review please :)


	21. 

A/N: Thanks for the reviews all! Just a little response to them now. 

lotrmatrixstarwarsfan: New reviewer! Glad to see you are enjoying this story. Just a little note here…they are in Mirkwood now! Boromir went directly towards Mirkwood and has not set foot in Lothlórien. See the end of chapter 16. And now my question for you: in what way did you think was Boromir ooc? Let me know, so I can use your comments for later use.

Luc1: I will wait for your other review and am curious what you will do with that '1' behind your name :) 

Morwenofthelake: I don't know what you mean by your comment, please elaborate.

JeanB, Sperrydee and Emmithar: Always happy to see your reviews!!

You know…I have reread some A/N's from previous chapters and could tell exactly when I had posted those chapters. I also noticed I have been working on this story since January, time really flies…and I sound really old right now *bg* 

Italics are Sindarin, "***" is a change in events/place.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

21.

Boromir was confused: first the spiders, then his little brother, then the elf. His mind was trying to catch up with the facts while his leg was being a nuisance. It was all going to fast and he didn't like it. He just wanted to ask Faramir for an explanation, when a spider dropped down on the ground in front of them.

Faramir uttered a curse; Boromir was just very annoyed. The older Gondorian was really fed up with the black creatures. All right, he thought, time to take matters into my own hands! 

With his sword ready, which he had been able to grab just before being hauled to his feet by the elf, the man rushed forward and killed the thing before it saw him coming. A satisfied grunt left him while he wiped of his sword. He wasn't about to be surprised anymore, not if he had say over it, which he now had… 

"Boromir!"

Turning around, he met his brother's concerned look.

"Yes?" The older man asked, all in control again.

Faramir covered the small space between them and his look actually turned into one of anger.

"Why are you here!? To get yourself killed whilst taking care of me? I can take care of myself thank you very much!" 

The younger dark haired man took a deep breath and pulled himself together. "I did not expect you to follow me brother, but now that I know I don't intend to get parted that quickly again. Damn Bor, you are injured and need to be careful. Now come with me and don't do anything foolish!"

Boromir felt his control slipping away again when he saw this harder side of his little brother. Never had Faramir talked…no, ordered him around like that. The surprise was short-lived as he shook himself out of it and started following the younger man; the younger man who was very quickly growing up, he now realised.

*** 

Orophin turned his attention back to the many spiders when he saw the two brothers had left the clearing. The elf could really concentrate on the fighting now, instead of worrying about the men.

The creatures were coming closer and his arrows were running out. With no way to retrieve the already shot arrows he quickly slung his bow over his shoulder and pulled his sword. It wasn't long before he was immersed in the fighting again. 

The slashes and thrusts followed each other rapidly, in an almost hypnotic way, as Orophin's only thoughts were for the fight. It only now occurred to him that the sheer number of creatures could overwhelm him if he got tired. Suddenly it surprised him that there were so many spiders concentrated on one spot. How many had he killed or injured already? 

An insightful thought crossed his mind almost causing him to lose his concentration. The elf steeled himself and kept in mind why he was fighting now; to give Faramir enough time to get away. To give a friend enough time to get away. A few more minutes should be enough…

*** 

Luckily they hadn't been in Mirkwood for very long; just about over an hour. And in that hour they had walked very carefully and silent, not making a lot of forward progress. Zigzagging through the trees and around shrubbery, inspecting the forest floor for tracks. 

Faramir and Boromir were going much faster now, close to running. They had been moving at that speed for the last ten minutes, generally heading in western direction…as far as they could tell.

Both men had completely different things on their mind; Boromir was trying to keep off the weight from his injured leg, he did not know if the spider had been poisonous or just very keen on injuring him. Faramir was worrying about Orophin and felt guilty for leaving him behind. 

Unbeknownst to them, they both clenched their teeth at the same time and shoved the distracting thoughts aside. Their only objective now was to get out of the forest as soon as they could.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: Review please. Thanks! 


	22. 

A/N: Have you people already listened to the previews of the soundtrack from Return of the King? I have and they gave me goosebumps! They can be downloaded at theonering.net.

So many questions from my reviewer…just read and find out :)

Well…no Sindarin so no italics in this chapter…sorry.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

22.

The two brothers stood, panting loudly and with their hands on their knees, next to each other at the edge of Mirkwood. Boromir eventually plopped down on the ground, wiping the sweat of his face. Running for his life wasn't something he was going to do anytime soon, as far as he was concerned. Faramir was eyeing the woods anxiously.

"Do you think he will be all right?" 

The older brother raised his eyebrows at the question and was tempted to reply in a manner of 'you tell me' and 'he is your companion'. Instead he took on the role again of big brother.

"I am sure he will be alright, Faramir." The man tried to sound as confident as possible, but was already making plans in case the elf didn't come back…

"Speaking of which," Boromir concluded his thought, "who is that elf anyway?" 

The question drove Faramir away from his worrying as he sat down in the grass next to his brother. "His name is Orophin and I met him in…"

"Yes?" The Gondorian was intrigued by the red colour that slowly crept up the other man's face.

"Well…ImethiminLórien together with his brothers and - "

"Stop! What did you say? You met him in…"

"Do you have to rub it in Boromir! Yes, I met him in Lórien, but that wasn't my fault! The man from whom I purchased my map has probably never even left Minas Tirith himself."

A muffled sound made him look up, the one producing the sound quickly assumed an innocent expression. 

"Don't laugh!" He cried indignantly. 

"I am not laughing." Boromir replied with a straight face, while his eyes twinkled. 

"Right…" Faramir sighed. "I met him in Lórien with his brothers, I actually met with the whole southern guard. They had been following me ever since I had set foot in their territory."

"Lórien!" Faramir's words finally hit mark, together with the words 'guard' and 'territory'.

"Yes brother. Now I know what you are thinking and no they did not harm me and there is no witch with spells…maybe if you count elven magic spells, but they will deny they have any magic as we think of it. I still don't know exactly why the lord and lady gave me free passage, it's not something I think they grant every wanderer."

"You are one lucky man Far."

"Probably, now if you will let me continue. After they caught me trespassing and declaring I would be brought before their lord and lady, their border was under attack by orcs. I took my chance and fled. After some time, there was still no pursuit. So I decided to rest by some rocks; I jumped on them, suddenly got dizzy and slipped up. A point of the rocks was jabbed in my left shoulder."

Boromir winced at this and unconsciously rubbed his aching leg. The movement did not go unnoticed and Faramir spotted the dark stain of blood as well.

"Why didn't you tell me you are injured!"

The next half-hour was spent tending to the man's wound while Faramir continued telling his own tale. Neither thought, at that moment, of the possibility that the spider-bite could be poisonous. 

"So we were just in search of a spider when we heard your cry and you know the rest," the young Gondorian concluded.

"You have found spiders, that's for sure." Grumbled Boromir.

"But why have you followed me Boro? This was something I just had to do alone…does father know of it!?" The expression on his brother's face told him enough. "He is going to kill me when I get back…"

"I don't think he will Faramir. Do you know what he said to me when I left: 'I want him back unharmed, you hear me. I don't care if you have to cut down the entire forest, you will find him'. That's what he said."

His younger brother still didn't look convinced so he left it at that. "I went after you because I was worried. It was foolish of me to challenge you like that and you could have been seriously injured." 

Faramir rolled his eyes and pointed at the injured leg. "It seems to me that you are the one who needs someone to protect you from injuries brother, but I am grateful that at least one of my relatives is concerned about me." Boromir again didn't mention their father.

"Bor, how did you…" the rest of the question died away as Faramir's attention was caught by something else. The younger man sprung up and crossed the short distance between their sitting place and the forest.

Boromir turned around and was relieved by what he saw; Faramir supporting a slightly injured and worn-out Orophin. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

Ps: anyone who has gone to RingCon in Germany? JeanB maybe?


	23. 

A/N: The extra scenes with Faramir and Boromir on TT: Extended Edition were absolutely perfect! For all you who have only seen the movie, now you know what Denethor thinks of his youngest son…that really broke my heart, the crestfallen expression in Faramir's eyes.

Anyway; No JeanB, I wasn't at RingCon…sigh, but (!) there will be another event, this time in Brussels from the 22nd to the 28th of March 2004. It's all about the 50th anniversary of LotR.

Thank you Carrie S for you nice review, you know that when I first started this it was planned as a Faramir and Haldir story! But it didn't work with those two, so I 'introduced' Orophin in the story and soon Boromir also wanted to be in :)

Elven Kitten, you certainly have memorised 'The Hobbit'! You were right, they were talking about Bilbo…must have been one traumatic experience for the spiders. And I hope you have made up with yourself *bg*

Italics are Sindarin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

23.

"I am very glad to see you in one piece! How did you get out of there? I felt so guilty for leaving you there. Come sit down, let me see your injuries."

Faramir rambled on while Orophin remained silent, but with a small smile on his face. The elf thanked the Valar that he was still well enough to listen to the young man's talking. A hiss escaped him as the Gondorian found a rather painful bruise near his elbow.

"Sorry," the man mumbled while concentrating again on his task.

"So, how did you get out of there?"

The silver haired being turned his attention to the elder of the two brothers. Only now could he truly see the resemblance between the two; dark hair, strong build, same nose. The younger still somewhat slighter than the elder, but that difference would become smaller eventually. He noticed the elder now started to become a bit restless under his gaze, so he smiled again and answered the question.

"I ran."

"You…ran?" 

The disbelief on Boromir's face gave way to a frown.

"Why did you ran? You could have taken them on, I mean, you are…well…you are an elf!"

Orophin could not exactly piece together what the Man had said, but the tone told enough and he had learned the Common word for his own race from Faramir.

"I with long live, _does not_ mean…_invincible_," he looked to Faramir for help, who translated as best as he could.

"I hunter, know is when…know _where_…" the trouble with the language frustrated, luckily his young companion did know what he tried to say.

"Boromir, he is an elf, but he is not invincible," Faramir explained. "They are gifted with long live, but only if they are smart enough to know when it's safer to turn back. A fool does not live long, not even if he is of elven-kind."

After a few minutes of silence, in which Faramir treated Orophin's cuts, Boromir thought over his sibling's remark and sighed.

"That is what I have been…a fool." 

The younger man looked up, "why do you say that Bor?"

"Well just look at us, if I had not been in that crazy forest stirring up spiders, then none of this would have happened. If I had not challenged you in the first place and struck your greatest weakness, none of this would have happened!"

Boromir got up so he could do something, besides sitting there and feeling guilty, but his left leg refused to co-operate properly. He plopped down again on the ground with something close to horror in his eyes.

"I…why doesn't my leg work…what is happening!"

Suddenly the elf was besides him, his own hurts momentarily forgotten, carefully peeling away the bandages that Faramir had applied only a little while ago. A few seconds later his Faramir was at his other side.

"Were you bitten Boromir?"

The man opened and closed his mouth a few times before replying.

"Yes," he whispered, "a small black one…it…it did have some lighter colourings though."

Orophin was gently probing the wound. At first glance it didn't look like a bite wound, only closer inspection revealed that there were indeed two small puncture wounds. He saw Boromir holding his hands roughly half a foot apart. He silently sighed in relieve. Something about the spiders had just been confirmed.

"Orophin?"

The elf looked up at Faramir and was glad he could put the young man's fears to rest.

__

"Do not worry Faramir. Your brother will be all right. I knew there was something different about the spiders…they were to little."

"To little? They did not look little to me."

"Faramir, what's going on? What's he saying?"

"Orophin said you will be all right and that the spiders were to little," said Faramir.

__

"They were not fully grown…I believe your brother stumbled upon a nest."

"A what? I don't fully understand you Orophin."

__

"A nest…little spiders."

Boromir connected the dots together and exclaimed: "Baby spiders!? Little ones have bested me…" Before he started laughing, and he wasn't blamed if it sounded a bit hysteric.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: You know that Sean Bean and David Wenham actually said (on TT: Extended Edition) that they look a bit alike…the nose and hair *g* Thanks for your reviews!


	24. 

A/N: So…this is the last chapter, after this just an epilogue. It will be posted before January 2nd, since I'll be flying to Toronto then for my 8-week clinical placement. I do want to write a short story, but that will be in March.

Merry Christmas to my reviewers and to the other people who are reading!

JeanB I hope your family took the hint and that you are the proud owner of the Extended Version!

SperryDee, always short but uplifting reviews, thanks!

And Emmithar, thank you for the great compliment! I am always glad to see your review in my email box. You have stuck with me ever since the first chapter of 'Lost and found again'…that was 1,5 years ago :) 

Elven Kitten, I do hope your test eventually turned out alright *g*

Carrie S, I was jumping up and down with you when I saw the new scenes. And now I have seen RotK…it's even sadder! I just wanted to give Faramir a big cuddle…I think Pippin wanted to do so as well. Then he goes out in battle and Pippin sings; that did bring tears to my eyes. Now, I will shut up, since I don't want to spoil it for people who haven't seen it.

Anyway, you all know the drill: I am just working with my imagination here and these characters aren't mine. Italics are Sindarin and '***' is just a shift in events.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

24.

The three companions stayed at the forest edge of Mirkwood for just another two days. They had quickly, although reluctantly, decided that it was best for the Steward's sons to return home. 

The horses had not yet been found, but Orophin was certain that they were somewhere nearby.

Faramir had also agreed to their return, even though he wasn't happy with it, and his father wasn't the only reason of that.

It was true that he longed to see Minas Tirith again; the fields of Pelennor and Anórien in the north, in the south the province Lossarnach and of course the White Mountains. Familiar landscapes, with familiar people and language. 

Despite his longing for home, the Golden Wood still held his vast curiosity because it was unfamiliar and new. The relatively short time the man had spend there had not been enough to do some thorough exploring of the woods, or to learn Sindarin, or to find the reason for the strange passage of time and the mild weather.

Orophin noticed the mixed feelings of his young friend, but knew it was time for Faramir to go home. The elf would certainly miss the man. The only thing he could do though, was hope that they would meet again, a thought he shared on the last night they spend together.

__

"I hope so as well," was the soft reply of Faramir, who tried to keep his voice steady and didn't quite succeed.

The silver-haired elf moved from the other side of the fire to sit next to him, then gently pulled the man close. They sat like that, leaning against each other, reliving their first meeting and Faramir's stay in Lothlórien till late in the night.

Sleep came quickly for the young Gondorian after that and Orophin was content to keep watch over him. 

A soft sound alerted him, but he settled down when he saw it was Boromir. The elder man carefully made his way to Faramir, just to sit next to him and stroke his younger brother's hair. He then made eye contact with the elf.

"Thank you," the dark haired man said silently, conveying his gratitude to the elf, who had kept his brother safe. 

Both man and elf understood each other without further words. Orophin simply nodded.

*** 

Another dawn came swiftly and at that time the three, two men and one elf, were as ready as could be to move on. Their goodbyes had been said the previous night, but Orophin still had one thing to do.

The elf came to stand before Faramir and reached for an arrow from his quiver. Wide-eyed, the man watched as Orophin wrapped a piece of cloth around the arrow and gave it to him.

__

"A gift, my friend. May we meet again."

Faramir carefully took the light bundle from the silver haired being.

"Thank you, my friend. May we meet again," repeated Faramir after he had placed his precious gift in his pack.

A long hug was exchanged, before the men and elf finally parted. The former to the south and the latter to the west.

"Come Faramir," said Boromir, "lets go home."

The younger man was starring to the west, in the direction Orophin had left them. He swallowed and gave a shuddering sigh, then turned back to his brother.

"Yes…let us go home Bor." 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

A/N: Epilogue is soon to follow. Thank you for your reviews! 


	25. Epilogue

A/N: The last one! I want to thank all the peeps who have read and reviewed; Emmithar, SperryDee, JeanB, Nerwen Calaelen, acacea, ThE iNsAnE oNe, Caroly, Carrie S, Elven Kitten, The Oboist's Apprentice, lotrobsession (that's entdraught) and any other I have forgotten. I am away from January 2nd till March 2nd to Toronto (here I come jetlag!), so that time is also a little writing break for me. Although I will try reading some fic here and leave behind a review of my own.

I am glad you enjoyed reading this and I hope I can just make 100 reviews, that would be a very nice Christmas gift (a bit late…but no problem :) ).

There are some vague ideas for another (short) story, so don't forget about me!

As a closing note: These characters are not mine, and '***' is a little timejump.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Epilogue.

"Bor…?"

"Hmm?"

"Just how mad was father when you left?"

Boromir looked sideways at his little brother and noticed he looked a bit pale.

As it was, the two man were just a few days away from Minas Tirith. They had found one of the horses and had strapped their packs on its back, sometimes they took turns riding. Both were glad to be in familiar surroundings again.

At least, Boromir was glad, he wasn't so sure about Faramir. The elder Gondorian knew how much his brother had wanted to stay with Orophin and learn all there was to learn about elves. It was also a chance to avoid their father, although Faramir would not admit that. 

"Boromir?"

"Oh yes, well…he wasn't what I would call mad, maybe a bit angry, but in a concerned way! You know, not red-head angry, but talking-more-loudly-than-normal angry, just…well…and I think he is more angry with me than he is with you! I lied to him when he asked me if I knew where you were. So, really…"

Faramir groaned and shook his head.

"He is furious! You know that his talking-more-loudly-than-normal anger will quickly turn into red-head anger which will turn into long lapses of silence with the occasional frosty-disapproving glance."

"Look, Faramir. I don't care what father thinks and you should not either. Know that I am very proud of you. You are my dearest brother-"

"…your only brother," injected Faramir. Boromir just continued as if he didn't hear him.

"And you should know that I love you. The people love you as well…Griffon loves you!"

"Griffon…the stablemaster? He is always muttering about me not being careful enough with myself and his precious horses."

"That proves it little brother," said Boromir, "more people like and love you than you know. It's the same with father, I know he loves you, so just stop worrying."

Faramir sighed and wished his brother was right, although he had a hard time believing it.

*** 

"Home at last," mumbled the dark-haired young man as he dropped down on his bed. His head still reeling from the warm home coming. 

A lot of the servants, soldiers and inhabitants of Minas Tirith had been waiting for their return so it was obvious that news of their arrival had been send forward. Both brothers were struck dumb when the great gate opened and the whole courtyard had been filled with people. A cheer had risen, that gradually lessened as they came to the higher levels of the city. 

The only one absent was the Steward.

This did not come as a real surprise for Faramir and in secret he was glad for the delayed confrontation. Suddenly his door swung open and the confrontation was no longer delayed.

Faramir jumped up in order to bow and stumbled a bit with fatigue. His father was standing just a few feet away from him with an unreadable expression. The silence was stiffening.

The flurry of robes approached the young man again and something unexpected happened. He felt himself being enveloped in a hug, a lose and quick one, but still a hug. Then the moment was over and he was again scrutinised with grey eyes.

"I expect you to resume your training with the soldiers. Do not run of again, lest Boromir has to retrieve you again from where ever you were."

"In Lothlórien, father," Faramir almost whispered. "I was with the elves."

It wasn't his imagination when he saw Denethor's eyes widen.

"Lothlórien you say? And they did not harm you?"

"No father, they were very kind to me." The younger man chose to keep the part of his injured shoulder and sickness silent.

"Very kind you say? Well, no matter, you are home again and I expect you to stay here for a while."

Denethor then turned toward the door again, but turned on the doorstep. His glance swept over Faramir's body and he sighed.

"Go see a healer my son." Then he was gone.

Faramir just stared at the open door, not quite believing what he had just heard. It had actually sounded like concern. A stupid grin appeared on his face and he reached in his pack. He pulled out a long bundle and he unwrapped it. A straight, long, white-fledged arrow was revealed.

"Yes," he softly said, "maybe it is good to be home."

*** 

At the same time, a silver-haired elf was gazing at his beloved home. His time with the young man would not be forgotten and his curiosity was stirred; what would Gondor be like, or a Men city? Would he be able to visit it sometimes? 

His pondering was interrupted by a shout as his two brothers spotted him. He waved and waited for them to come up.

Before his brothers arrived, Orophin looked to the south-east with a small smile.

__

"It is good to be home." 

The End.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Oh yeah…Italics are Sindarin *g*

Thank you again for reading and a Happy Newyear!


End file.
